Chapter 256: What I Saw in Tianjing and What I Heard from the God-Slaying Division

After coming out of Wanglai Ju with a full meal and a few drinks, Master Qiu knew that they were all small flags and general flags who came to the Zhushen Division headquarters for further studies, and he thoughtfully arranged a carriage to pick them up. Of course, during this process, Master Qiu also took the opportunity of toasting to build relationships with everyone, at least they exchanged business cards with each other and became familiar with each other.

After personally escorting the small flag and the general flag of the God-Slaying Division to the car, a companion following Master Qiu whispered, "I thought they were small flags from the headquarters, but they turned out to be from outside."

His voice inevitably contained contempt, which was the natural view of the people of Tianjing towards the people of the world, an inherent cognition formed over three hundred years.

Young Master Qiu glanced at the other person. The other person was also the son of a businessman, but his family business was small and had not been involved in the previous warehouse burning case. However, Young Master Qiu's father had been arrested and imprisoned in the God-Slaying Division for several days, so naturally he had different ideas.

He didn't remind the other party of his thoughts either.

The small flag at the headquarters of the God-Slaying Division?
Don’t you see who are the people who are able to stay now?

Even the children of military honors and civil officials were cleared out in large numbers. Are the remaining ones worth currying favor with you?
On the contrary, it is said that these foreign small flags and general flags have a good chance of staying in Tianjing.

They have no roots in Tianjing and lack money to purchase resources for cultivation. They just happen to be people of my level.

The power of the God-Slaying Division is unmatched.

Now in the whole of Tianjing, who dares to provoke the God-Slaying Division with Zhou Tieyi in it?
At least under the tactics used in the past few months, even the masters of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Propaganda have chosen to keep a low profile.

Since we can't fight, we might as well join.

After getting on the spacious carriage, the small flags and the general flags were still immersed in the compliments of the drinking party.

Although the local God-Slaying Department has considerable power, it has never received such flattery under normal circumstances.

I had heard about the situation in the Tianjing God-Slaying Division before. It was a deserted government office that was hated by everyone. But now it seems that there have been some major changes, so much so that Uncle Qing, a local centurion who had not returned to the capital to report on his work for five years, has not been able to convert.

After entering Xuanwu City, the traffic became increasingly congested and the carriages moved more slowly.

When the carriages were completely jammed, a newsboy immediately shouted, "Extra Edition, Extra Edition, the new luxury tax law is about to be finalized and is being approved by the Ministry of Law. The wealthy merchants in Tianjin are eager to pay taxes!"

Although today is not the latest issue of Tianjing News, Tianjing News is published every three days, and the price has been greatly reduced to three cents. The production has not yet been fully expanded due to machine debugging and worker training, so even after the first day, there are still people willing to buy it.

Hearing the extra edition, Uncle Qing poked his head out, "Newspaper!"

When he was on the boat, he heard fellow merchants talk about the Tianjing News. He knew that the Tianjing News was run by Zhou Tieyi, the inspector of the God-Slaying Division. Strictly speaking, the Tianjing News was also the core authority of the God-Slaying Division's inspection power and was an important part of understanding the current changes in Tianjing.

The newsboy stepped forward immediately and said, "Sir, the Tianjing Daily and the Legal Daily are three cents each, and the Awakening Daily is five cents each. How many copies do you want?"

Uncle Qing thought for a moment and said, "Do you have any old newspapers? If so, give me ten copies each."

After that, he generously took out a small silver ingot weighing two taels and said, "If you have it, you don't need to change the silver."

The newsboy immediately beamed with joy and shouted to the other newsboys selling newspapers around him, "We have a big customer!"

Newsboys immediately swarmed over, picked out the newspapers very quickly, and handed them to Uncle Qing.

During this period, the newsboys discovered a problem when selling newspapers. That is, many local merchants came to Tianjing this time and were also interested in previously published newspapers. Even if the news in the newspapers was outdated, it was still the latest news for most places thousands of miles away from Tianjing.

Therefore, under the strong suggestion of newsboys, the Printing Bureau of the Imperial Household Department will still publish a small number of previous newspapers and periodicals.

After a while, several bundles of newspapers were delivered to several carriages.

Uncle Qing first opened the latest issue of "Tianjing News".

"The new luxury tax will be determined soon. Qian Guangyun, president of the Southeast Chamber of Commerce, said that the Chamber of Commerce will fully cooperate with the work of the God-Slaying Division, pay taxes conscientiously, and pay all that is due without delay."

"The main culprit in the warehouse burning case has been identified: grain merchant Xie Xun and 243 others have committed extremely heinous crimes. All their property will be confiscated and they will be executed in the autumn."

"Inspector Zhou submitted a memorial to the emperor, 'Petition to build the Zixiao Taoist Palace', which demonstrates His Majesty's morality."

"The first batch of steam printing press prototypes of the Railway Chamber of Commerce has been produced. If you are interested, you can visit the Suzaku City Railway Chamber of Commerce to view and purchase them."

“Is the rise of the Classical Chinese Movement an obstacle to the Modern Chinese Movement?”

“The bicycle: a new form of personal transportation that is both good and affordable.”

······
Each headline contained a lot of information, so Uncle Qing soon became fascinated. When he arrived at the headquarters of the God-Slaying Division, he only read half of the newspaper when the coachman respectfully opened the curtain outside.

But just from reading this half of the newspaper, he had already confirmed one thing, that is, Lord Zhou Tieyi, known as the peerless jester in Confucianism, had more power in Tianjing than imagined.

From the three emperors to the common people.

Whether it is the construction of a Taoist temple or personal travel, it seems to be related to Lord Zhou. People from all walks of life in Tianjing may not know the Three Officials, but they cannot not know Lord Zhou, otherwise they cannot do business.

And everything that happened in Wanglaiju today reflects this point.

Uncle Qing brought Xiaoqi and the general flags down from the carriage, only to find that the carriage was parked far away. It was not because the coachmen were negligent, but because the front was filled with various luxurious carriages. The dignitaries who got off the carriages, whether they were officials dressed in blue and vermilion, or wealthy merchants dressed in silk and satin, looked up at the plaque of the Zhushen Division for a moment, then lowered their heads unconsciously and asked the clerk at the door in a soft voice how to get to the various courtyards in the Zhushen Division.

The number of people coming and going is no less than that of the Sansi Mansion.

Uncle Qing compared his quiet appearance when he returned to the headquarters five years ago and sighed in his heart, "It's really different now."

In just three months, no, according to the information in the newspaper, it would be more accurate to say one month, and the God-Slaying Division had completely changed.

He quietly reminded the small flags and general flags behind him, "When you go in later, remember not to bump into Inspector Zhou, otherwise I really can't protect you."

The small flags and the general flags also read the newspaper in the car. This time they did not tease Uncle Qing for being timid, but nodded seriously. Everyone was not a fool as they could investigate the evil spirits in the local God-Slaying Office.

Those who work hard on the front line, fools and people without social experience have long been eliminated by nature.

Uncle Qing reported that he was the leader of a group of people coming from the local area for further studies. The clerks did not make things difficult for him and kindly led everyone into the God-Slaying Division.

Uncle Qing took out a brocade box at the right time, which contained elixirs. This was the best means of bribery.

He secretly put it into the clerk's hand and asked in a low voice, "I haven't been to the headquarters for a long time. I don't know what I should pay attention to. What taboos do you gentlemen have?"

The clerk looked at the brocade box in his hand and stepped back hesitantly.

Uncle Qing's heart skipped a beat.

However, the clerk smiled and said, "It seems that the Green Hundred Household has not returned for a long time. Now that Supervisor Zhou is in charge of the God-Slaying Division, some of the previous habits need to be changed. Of course, under the leadership of Supervisor Zhou, these habits do not need to be kept."

The clerk's words immediately made Uncle Qing's scalp tingle. How come he hadn't come back for such a long time? Even this ordinary clerk's words became profound and unfathomable. It felt like he was attending a meeting at the county government.

The first thing to do when reporting on one's work in a local area is, of course, to pay a visit to Wei Shaoan, the commander of the God-Slaying Division. This rule naturally cannot be broken. Even within the God-Slaying Division, most people know that Zhou Tieyi's words in Tianjing are more effective than Wei Shaoan's.

A few days ago, a group of people who were studying in the local area wanted to visit Zhou Tieyi first, but they were scolded by Zhou Tieyi and asked to take them to visit Wei Shaoan first, and then to visit the Inspection Office.

In the Zhushen Division, Wei Shaoan sat in the main hall, his eyes fell on the identity document brought by Uncle Qing, and after a simple check, Wei Shaoan smiled, "Tong'an, you have made great progress in the past five years. Even in Tianjing, I heard that you have handled several major cases in succession, which brought honor to our Zhushen Division."

Tongan is Uncle Qing's courtesy name.

Zhou Tieyi urged Wei Shaoan so eagerly to let the local small flags and the general flags come to Beijing. The advantage was that it would speed up the reform of the God-Slaying Division, but the disadvantage was that most of the first batch of people who came to Beijing were from local factions close to Wei Shaoan.

Uncle Qing lowered his head quickly and said, "Thanks to the commander for his good leadership."

When Wei Shaoan heard the words "leader has a plan", the smile on his face faded a little, and then he continued, "Do your job well, the God Execution Department will not treat you unfairly. This military tomb is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Lord Zhou and I have worked hard to get it for you."

Although everyone knew that the incident at the Bingzhong was Zhou Tieyi's fault, but Wei Shaoan wanted to shamelessly add himself to the list, and no one could say it out loud. At least Zhou Tieyi didn't say anything, so everyone accepted this 'fact'. "Yes."

Wei Shaoan thought about it and took the initiative to say, "Let's go to the Supervisory Office. Now that the God-Slaying Department has been restructured, many new rules are being established. Supervisor Zhou has the duty of supervision."

He didn't think of stopping Zhou Tieyi from meeting the newcomer in this matter, just as Zhou Tieyi tacitly acknowledged that Wei Shaoan had a share of the credit. This was a tacit understanding between the two.

Fighting over such things will not bring any substantial benefits, and will make it difficult for those below you to do their job, and make those above you feel that they are difficult to serve.

If you really want to gain the support of your subordinates, the more stingy you are now, the harder it will be to accomplish great things.

Especially since this group of people were already close to him, Wei Shaoan had no reason to make things difficult for 'his own people' and push them towards Zhou Tieyi.

Although Wei Shaoan's rank was a bit low in Zhou Tieyi's eyes, he had been a commander for more than 20 years after all, so he still had some basic skills.

Uncle Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that this would be the hardest hurdle of the day, but he didn't expect it to be so easy to pass.

After respectfully saying goodbye, Uncle Qing led the small flags and the general flags, and under the guidance of the clerks, came to the Inspection Office next to the military camp.

The God-Slaying Division was very busy with official business, and nearly two-thirds of the people there came to pay a visit to the Inspection Office.

Upon hearing that there were visits from local small flags and the general flag, Zhou Tieyi first stopped his ordinary work and handed it over to Wu Qian and A'er to handle, and then received everyone in the side hall.

Although this work is tedious, it is a necessary task that must be done if one wants to cultivate one's own team within the God-Slaying Division.

Zhou Tieyi looked through the documents of Uncle Qing and many small flags and the general flag.

Compared with the small flags in Tianjing, most of the general flags practiced the Taoist traditions of the upper nine sects, while the Taoist traditions of the local small flags and the general flags became more and more bizarre.

There are doctors, magicians, poison masters, and gourmets in all walks of life. Of course, the largest number are martial arts practitioners. This is the simplest and least error-prone method of practice. It can also be easily transformed into Taoism, Buddhism, and the military.

Zhou Tieyi picked out four documents, "Meng Liang, Yin Zaitian, Gong Shujin, Gong Shuyin."

The three men and one woman who were called looked a little nervous and clasped their fists and said, "Inspector Zhou."

Zhou Tieyi took a look and found that among these four people, one was from the Mohist school, two were from the Gongshu school, and one was from the Qiao school.

"I am restructuring the God-Slaying Division's action force and want to form a fortification action force. I am currently selecting candidates. Are you interested in joining?"

The four people who were named looked slightly towards Uncle Qing.

Uncle Qing said with a stiff face, "Sir Zhou, does this construction operation force need to stay in Tianjing?"

Zhou Tieyi didn't answer immediately. He leaned slightly back in his chair, tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and just looked at Uncle Qing quietly.

An invisible pressure lingered in everyone's heart.

Even though a dozen elite members of the God-Slaying Division were standing present, they still felt an indescribable pressure facing the red-robed figure sitting in the main hall, especially the sound of knocking on the table. For some reason, it made everyone feel even more heavy-hearted.

Just when Uncle Qing thought that Zhou Tieyi might scold him for daring to interrupt his question, he was thinking about how to calm Zhou Tieyi down first.

Zhou Tieyi suddenly stopped tapping his fingers on the table and said with a smile, "This is just a test unit. It may not be deployed in the battle deployment of the God-Slaying Division. Everyone is just here to learn and train. After the training is completed, you can naturally transfer back to your hometown."

Zhou Tieyi's words made everyone feel refreshed. It was truly a refreshing feeling, as if they had just received some kind of great blessing.

This time Uncle Qing didn't speak rashly.

The two brothers of Gongshu were the first to react, "I am willing."

Although the two brothers had a very distant relationship with Gongshu Sheng, more than five generations away, they also knew that the entire Gongshu family had now begun to subtly support the Zhou family.

Compared with the ties of Taoism, the ties between superiors and subordinates, and colleagues in the local God-Slaying Department are much smaller.

Yin Zaitian of the Mohist School hesitated for a moment and said, "I still want to stay in my original position."

Zhou Tieyi nodded lightly without saying much. The only woman, Meng Liang from the Qiao family, hesitated for a few breaths and whispered, "I am willing to join the fortification troops to study."

After dealing with these four people, Zhou Tieyi took another look at the small flags below and the luck above the general flag. Although they were considered geniuses in the local area, with the resources Zhou Tieyi currently had, ordinary geniuses were really not worth his attention, especially martial arts geniuses.

Worst value!

Zhou Tieyi picked a young man with a faint golden aura on his head and mostly red aura, and asked, "I have a special training camp here, but you need to take an assessment before you can enter. Do you want to give it a try?"

The young man didn't wait for Uncle Qing to give a hint, he just clasped his fists and said, "I want to give it a try."

Zhou Tieyi glanced at Uncle Qing's expression and the subtle looks of the crowd and smiled. It was normal for such a proud and arrogant genius to be unsociable. Maybe he was a direct descendant of some local powerful family.

It's also easy to conquer them, just let them know the difference first.

Zhou Tieyi looked at Ah Da and said, "Take him to the assessment. As for the others, go to the warehouse to collect some basic benefits first, and then report to the barracks."

As soon as Zhou Tieyi finished speaking, everyone saw a clerk come in and report, "Sir Zhou, the Minister of Works, Sir Mo, has arrived. There is also Sir Liu, the Right Minister of the Ministry of Elephants, and Sir Li, the Director of the Imperial Hospital..."

With each name the clerk announced, the people present understood more and more how powerful Zhou Tieyi was now.

These big shots from other departments don’t have to report to Wei Shaoan first when they come to the God-Slaying Division. If they have any business, they can directly bypass Wei Shaoan and come to Zhou Tieyi. This is the real authority!

Uncle Qing suddenly realized that Zhou Tieyi wanted to "subdue" them only because he was short of people to do the work, not because he wanted to rely on them to compete for power with Wei Shaoan.

Therefore, Zhou Tieyi is really casual about whether they stay or not, because it is Zhou Tieyi who gives power to everyone, not everyone who gives Zhou Tieyi power.

If you don't do it, there are plenty of people in the world who are willing to do it!
The hustle and bustle of traffic outside the God-Slaying Division is the best proof of this.

From the moment Zhou Tieyi took office in the Zhushen Division, it was he who brought power to the Zhushen Division, rather than the Zhushen Division bringing him power.

It's not that Zhou Tieyi relies on the God-Slaying Division, but that the God-Slaying Division relies on Zhou Tieyi!
After figuring this out, Uncle Qing sighed softly in his heart, and looking at the slightly moved eyes of the small flags around him, he realized that many people here could not resist the temptation.

In the face of power, loyalty is worthless.

Zhou Tieyi waved his hand casually, "You guys go down."

After everyone left, Zhou Tieyi stood up to receive several important figures. It was not that he intended to use this little trick to intimidate these small flags and general flags of the local God-Slaying Division. He had already passed this stage.

The group of people above came today not in an official capacity, but more in their identities within the Taoist tradition.

The steam printing press has produced the first prototype machine built entirely by ordinary workers, which means that the steam printing press can begin to be rolled out on a large scale.

Many schools of thought were not fools. When Zhou Tieyi was willing to help the Legalists publish a newspaper and donated twenty steam printing presses made by Gongshu Sheng, it was like paying a huge sum of money for a horse's bones.

Now, more than ten days have passed, and the Legal Daily has been running successfully. Not only has it not been suppressed by Zhou Tieyi, but with Zhou Tieyi's support, it has surpassed the Awakening Newspaper and become the second largest newspaper in Tianjing.

And yesterday, Zhou Tieyi published an advertisement for the sale of steam printing presses in the Tianjing Daily, which was a signal. Ordinary businessmen could buy it, and of course their major schools could also buy it.

Does this mean that if you buy a steam printing press, you will have the opportunity to publish a newspaper?

The authority of speech in the world...

Zhou Tieyi has mastered the art of using this skill over the past month, so even though many schools knew that they might be severely ripped off by Zhou Tieyi, they still came together to discuss and visit today.

(End of this chapter)