Volume 2: The Northern Army's Military Strength is Revealed Volume 3: A Heart of Disappointment Has Its Own Abode Chapter 64: The Official in the Capital (Monthly Ticket, Monthly Ticket)

  There are some things that Ah Cao still needs to say, don't the subscribed book friends have monthly tickets in hand? Ah Cao doesn't need many, just this month's monthly ticket is enough for Ah Cao, isn't the request too high? Whether or not next month is irrelevant, Ah Cao knows he can't compare to those great gods, seeing that many book friends are supporting him...

  When Zhao Shi used the water bag of this group of people to wash the fresh blood off his hands, and took off the clothes with red marks all over his body, he immediately left the forest filled with corpses. Of course, before leaving, he did not forget to loot everything from these people, loading them onto the horseback, a string of thirty-four horses, forming a long queue, leaving the forest.

  The confession was detailed, and these were bandits from Lingnan Qingfeng Mountain, just as Shang Yanzu said, they were guys on the green forest road, also known as the mountain kings who occupied the mountains. At first, Zhao Shi thought that these people might be assassins sent by the Li family, but later found out that it was not the case at all. These people came here to find a few people, but had nothing to do with Zhao Shi. The main thing was to find a thin and handsome scholar, as for the specific situation, the three living mouths were not very clear, only said that there was a big man who wanted his life, and opened up 100,000 taels of reward. As for who the big man was and what he was after, only their leader knew, but unfortunately, their leader's neck had already been broken in half, and couldn't speak anymore.

  These are actually not what Zhao Shi is concerned about, the most important news is that these mountain bandits and robbers are not a group of people, but also some other people from some stockades, there are probably around three to four hundred people, they have been scattered into Fengxiang Prefecture for almost three months now. According to the latest information received, the pursuers have arrived near Gongyi County, so they are searching village by village, as for the county seat and towns with many more people, they don't have the guts or the strength to go in.

  The people from Qingfeng Mountain came in small numbers, and the places they were responsible for were not many. They quickly completed their task and were about to head to Zhaojia Village at the foot of Niutou Mountain, which was also their final destination. Whether or not they found the person, they would each receive 10,000 taels of silver. However, unexpectedly, they encountered Zhao Shi, a ruthless killer, here.

  As soon as he heard the news, Zhao Shi showed no mercy and turned the three men into corpses, then quickly rushed back to Zhaojia Village.

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  At the same time, several unfamiliar faces also arrived at the county government office of Gongyi County. County magistrate Xu Wen was a jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) in the 17th year of Zhengde and was appointed as the magistrate of Gongyi County.

  At that time, he was in his prime and full of vigor, determined to make a name for himself in the officialdom. But now, whoever sits in the county magistrate's position for ten years can't muster up any enthusiasm anymore.

  However, Xu Wen was also well aware of the situation. When he first took office, although he was cautious, he had no other flaws except for his love of wine. At that time, he happened to know that Governor Fu was hosting a banquet for his colleagues.

  When the wine was getting drunk, the prefect's poetic inspiration was greatly aroused. This prefect indeed had rare talent, and a poem in the style of "Picking Mulberries" won thunderous applause from the whole hall. This is nothing unusual, as flattering officials with poetry to accompany wine is normal in such gatherings.

  But the mistake was that Xu Wen drank too much, and with a mouthful of the Magistrate's last sentence, "Drunken face spring fusion, slanting sunset Jiang Tian one color red." This sentence, this sentence is indeed the finishing touch of this poem, but after pondering it for a while, I felt like something was missing. Suddenly inspired, without thinking too much, he loudly changed the Magistrate's "one color red" to "a hint of red". The people present were all literary officials, and some were famous scholars in the government, who, after a moment's thought, applauded. Although it was only one word different, but the combination before and after became seamless, Jiang Tian slanting sunset, drunken face, shouldn't it be a hint of red? After this change, it truly achieved the fusion of people and scenery, and the realm also rose to another level. Xu Wen won applause, but also lost face in front of the Magistrate at the scene. At that time, the Magistrate didn't say anything, but praised him for being a true scholar with great talent, but afterwards, Xu Wen seemed to have taken root in the position of County Magistrate, and couldn't be shaken even by thunder. As a result, he became a County Magistrate for ten years.

  After that incident, Xu Wen never drank again, but now sitting in the main hall of the county government, Xu Wen is frowning and drinking a small mouthful of wine from his cup, but it seems tasteless. He looks at the similarly anxious County Secretary, County Lieutenant, and County Captain with a bitter smile and says: "It's said that when you cut off the water, the current flows stronger, and when you drink to drown your sorrows, your sorrows only deepen. I didn't believe it before, but now I do. Isn't this just adding worry to worry?"

  County Lieutenant Wang Shizhe was the youngest, and at this time he saw Xu Wen sitting there just drinking wine. The words that came out of his mouth had nothing to do with the current situation, and in his heart, he was even more anxious. At the beginning of the year when he was recruiting soldiers, he almost made a big mistake, but fortunately, the young man surnamed Zhao was still able to handle it well, and finally, he falsely reported his age and covered up the matter. If that young man had told his uncle Zhang Shiwen about it, Zhang Shiwen's official rank was not lower than his, and who knows what kind of trouble would have arisen? After this incident, Wang Shizhe broke out in a cold sweat and made up his mind to be more cautious in the future and not make such mistakes again. Afterwards, he became much more steady in his actions.

  Who would have thought that just three or four months later, such a misfortune would befall him again? Gongyi County seemed to have become a hotbed of thieves overnight, with reports of bandits coming in from all directions. This was exactly the kind of thing that fell under his jurisdiction as county magistrate. If it were just small-time ordinary thieves, he wouldn't even bat an eye, and might even secretly be pleased - after all, it would bring him merit.

  But now, more than 40 or 50 villages have been attacked, and the number of deaths has exceeded 100. He led his soldiers to patrol for a month, but they didn't see even half a shadow of the bandits. However, news kept coming that villages were being raided by bandits. He was furious with these bandits who seemed to appear out of nowhere, but he couldn't find any trace of them.

  Thinking of his own future being ruined like this overnight, can Wang Shizhe, who is still considered young, not be anxious?

  "My county magistrate, can't you come up with a plan? Are we just going to sit here and wait for those damned bandits to deliver themselves to our doorstep?"

  After hearing his words, Xu Wen could only respond with a bitter smile, "The rules? What can I possibly have to say about the rules?"

  "What's going on? Where did these bandits come from? What kind of people are they? What is this all about? Without knowing anything, Lord Wang, what regulations am I supposed to take out?"

  The newly appointed county magistrate and the chief clerk, who had always adhered to the Confucian doctrine of moderation, were also filled with bitter resentment. Looking at the current situation, it was clear that the case was doomed, but since bandits were rampant, it didn't concern them either. So they kept their mouths shut, looking gloomy and not uttering a word.

  Wang Shizhe was about to say something, but at this time a yamen runner rushed in and bowed: "Your Honor, there is someone outside the county government office who claims to be an official from the Ministry of Justice and requests to see you..."

  Xu Wen's face had turned somewhat pale as he stood up, and in his heart, he thought that it seemed he had finally reached the end of his tenure as county magistrate. He wondered if he would be taken directly to the capital or...

  Thinking of this, his body suddenly felt weak and his voice was hoarse, even scaring himself, "Open the gate of the government office, everyone, follow me to welcome him..."

  The faces of others were not much better than Xu Wen's, especially County Lieutenant Wang Shize, who was as pale as a dead man, his hands and feet trembling as he followed behind Xu Wen to welcome him.

  Standing outside the government office were three people, each holding a horse by the reins, not wearing official robes. The first one was over thirty years old, slender in build, with a hawk-like nose and a pair of bright, narrow eyes. The two men behind him had swords hanging from their waists and looked sturdy and robust, seemingly bodyguards.

  Three people's faces were covered with dust and sweat, their expressions also filled with fatigue, apparently having rushed in a hurry on the road. Seeing Xu Wen leading everyone out, the thin man immediately smiled and came forward to greet them, reporting his fist and courtesy: "Is it Lord Xu Wen, the magistrate of Gongyi County? I am Guan Zuo, an official from the Ministry of Punishment, here to pay respects to Lord Xu. Thank you for your trouble in coming out to meet us, please forgive me."

  This man spoke politely, but when Xu Wen heard him speak, his heart trembled secretly. He thought to himself, "Indeed, although this official is only a minor one of low rank, his power is not small. Those who are in charge of bringing officials to the capital for punishment are usually people like them. If they are slightly offended or slow, there will be trouble to face." Therefore, he didn't dare to be arrogant and made a bow, forcing himself to smile and say: "I don't dare, I don't dare. Lord Guan is an official from the capital, and as a seventh-rank county magistrate, it's only right that I should come out to welcome you. It's just that there was no preparation, and if there's anything lacking, I hope you gentlemen won't mind."

  Guan Hong laughed and greeted a few others, who exchanged pleasantries before inviting the guest to take a seat. Before long, they arrived at the main hall of the government office, where the host and guests took their seats, and servants presented fragrant tea.

  Xu Wen said: "Lord Guan has traveled a long way and must be tired, why don't you gentlemen take some time to freshen up first, and we'll entertain you tonight?"

  Guan Hong waved his hand and said with a bitter smile: "Lord Xu, I have official business to attend to, how can I rest? Your kindness is appreciated."

  As soon as he said this, several people's faces looked increasingly ugly. He knew what was going on in his heart, but a faint smile appeared on his face. From the cuff of his sleeve, he pulled out a piece of paper and said in a deep voice: "I have come here for an imperial fugitive who has committed serious crimes and is extremely cunning. He has escaped several times from my Ministry of Punishment officials. A few days ago, I received news that he had arrived in the territory of Gongyi County and then lost his trace. Therefore, I would like to ask you gentlemen to help me capture him and bring him back to justice. This is his portrait, which should be about 80% similar..."

  He handed the paper to Xu Wen, who was obviously taken aback, and then his expression turned solemn. "On my way here, I heard that Gongyi County is plagued by bandits. I understand your difficulties, so as long as you pay attention in secret within the city, if you discover their whereabouts, capture them immediately. If successful, when I return to Beijing, I will certainly report the merits of several adults..."

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  When Zhao Shi returned to Zhaojia Village, the village had lost its former tranquility and harmony. From time to time, some unfamiliar faces could be seen entering and leaving the village. These guys were all physically strong, with broad shoulders and waists, wearing simple clothes, only a light red jacket with two large "Ding" characters printed on the front and back.

  "This is the deputy manager of the salt yard." Shang Yan Zu said, glancing at the more than 30 horses not far away, introducing Zhao Shi.

  It was also Zhao Shi's appearance that shocked him, and the thin Ding deputy manager who seemed to be blown away by a gust of wind was still a bit dazed. A young man, driving a herd of horses, with a large pile of knives and guns on top, is it not shocking for a normal person? Until Shang Yanzu touched this Ding deputy manager, he came back to his senses.

  The thin and skull-like face smiled slyly, looking at the robust young man in front of him, but couldn't help associating him with Zhang Shiwen's pale and chubby appearance. When the people from Zhaojia Village arrived at the salt field, Zhang Shiwen was not there, but both the chief and deputy managers were present.

  The head of the saltworks, also surnamed Zhang, was a collateral branch of the Zhang family in the county town. Although he was no longer young, he still had to be called "Uncle Zhang" by his nephew. This man had only been in office for half a year and owed his appointment entirely to the influence of his uncle, Zhang Shiwen, whom he naturally regarded with gratitude.

  Zhang Shiwen was even more familiar with the situation at home, and had met Zhao Shi's mother in the county town some time ago. He naturally knew how much Zhang Shiwen valued his relatives in Zhaojiacun. When someone from Zhaojiacun came, he didn't dare to neglect them. After hearing the detailed situation, he immediately sent two people without saying a word, and even took 150 people out of the 800 salt workers to bring to Zhaojiacun, which can be said to have done his best.

  Among them, the joint deputy manager naturally understood that he also knew that the young man in front of him was the nephew of the Salt Control Officer. How dare he be slow? Not to mention this layer, he had already inquired clearly that the identity of the Forbidden Army's commander-in-chief, who looked ordinary except for his tall stature, was not something he could afford to offend.

  Bowing, he said respectfully: "As Zhang Guanshi said, we have come here and will follow Mr. Zhao's instructions. The 150 salt workers sent are all strong men, although they haven't been through any major scenes, but guarding this village should be enough. What do you need us to do? We'll definitely make sure the adults are satisfied."