Chapter 34: Banquet (2)

It's a nice day with a bright sunshine.

There were traffic in front of the Lu family, and the number of guests who came to celebrate their birthday even exceeded Xiao He's early estimates.

What Xiao He didn't expect was that Ren Xiao, as the county magistrate of Pei County, was also taking the time to congratulate Lu Weng in his busy schedule.

However, Xiao He quickly figured out the reason.

Now Pei County is in ruins, and what needs most is a stable situation. Since the end of last year, starting from Chen County in the west and Xue County in the east, the Qin army gathered slowly and orderly, and many granaries were built along the way from Sanchuan County to Wuzhong (now Suzhou, Jiangsu).

At the same time, the First Emperor ordered that a hundred thousand manpower be used to dig canals in the Sishui and Gushui areas.

What information is hidden here? Ordinary people may not be able to see it, but for a smart person like Xiao He, you can guess it with a little thought. It is obvious that the First Emperor is probably going to use troops... As for the target of military use, it is probably Baiyue.

If the Baiyue army is used, Sishui County will undoubtedly take on the role of a transit station.

The purpose of sending Ren Xiao as the county magistrate of Pei County, then clearing out bandits and managing the local area was to make Sishui County a stable material supply base. Therefore, the reason why Ren Xiao appeared in the Lu family is not difficult to explain. Ren Xiao is showing a posture to soothe the hearts of the people. Last year, a series of bloody storms had achieved Ren Xiao's original purpose, and now he needs to use soft means.

Is this the so-called "happy with the people"?

Xiao He thought in his heart. During these days of Ren Xiao’s shogunate, he did learn a lot. Ren Xiao is not just a soldier, but also has very good methods of dealing with internal affairs. I heard that when Meng Tian was still the Xianyang Order, Ren Xiao was once Meng Tian’s assistant. If it was true, it would be that the strong generals had no weak soldiers. Although Xiao He was very arrogant, he also knew his shortcomings.

Ren Xiao stayed at the Lu family for only a while before leaving!

However, the impact his appearance on others is immeasurable.

Many people who didn't want to come first, when they saw that the county magistrate appeared, immediately changed their minds and ordered people to prepare gifts and come to congratulate them.

Before noon, the Lu Mansion was already full of vehicles, and even the road became crowded.

As for the mansion, it was even more crowded. And there were constant streams of guests coming, which made Xiao He feel a little overwhelmed.

"Wen Lu, if this continues, it will be more and more chaotic!"

Weng Lu didn't expect that with Ren Xiao's appearance, so many people would come.

At this time, Lu Weng was naturally extremely proud. But he also knew that if this continued, the banquet would not begin at all.

So he asked Xiao He for advice: "Sir, what are your ideas?"

Xiao He thought for a while, "It's not a big deal to have so many people, it's not a big deal. It's better to use the number of gifts as the standard. Any guests with more than a thousand coins can sit in the hall. If the gifts are less than a thousand coins, they can sit in the hall, so it's natural to see at a glance."

Weng Lu thought about it and thought this was also a solution.

But I was still a little nervous and whispered: "But if this happens, will you offend people?"

"How could you offend people?" Xiao He smiled and said, "Even the county magistrate has sent congratulatory gifts, how could these people care? Moreover, the customs of Pei County are different from the amount of gifts. Lu Weng, according to me, not only will you not offend people, but your arrangement will also make those powerful households feel faced. As for those who are just joining in the fun, they will not be dissatisfied with you because of this."

Weng Lu said: "Since that's the case, let's follow what Mr. Xiao said!"

So Xiao He walked out of the hall and said loudly: "Everyone, today is the fiftieth birthday of Mr. Lu. I didn't expect that the parents and fellow villagers were so enthusiastic. But the hall was a bit narrow after all. Therefore, if the gifts are less than a thousand yuan, please sit in the hall, please forgive me."

The guests were a little dissatisfied at first, but then they thought about it and felt that this was the truth.

Now, no longer complained, followed Xiao He's arrangements and sat down in the hall. Those who had gifts of more than a thousand yuan walked into the hall in a swagger. This was also a symbol of identity and status. Lu Weng's approach also saved their face to a certain extent. In this way, he had a more favorable impression of Lu Weng, and naturally he had a more intimate relationship with his words.

The banquet officially began at noon, and Xiao He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But she was just relieved, and Xiao He's heart quickly raised up.

Because he saw a person, someone he didn't want to, nor did he want to see.

Liu Bang is very tall, but his body proportions are a bit inconsistent. The upper body is longer than the lower body, which makes his arms look much longer than ordinary people. Among many people, such a figure is easy to attract attention. What's more, there are a large group of people around Liu Bang. The burly Fan Kuai, the heroic Zhou Bo, the gentle Lu Wan, and the fierce Xiahou Ying.

Liu Fei rode on Xiahou Ying's neck, which also made this group of people particularly eye-catching.

Xiao He hurriedly walked forward and was about to speak, but saw Xiahou Ying smiling and said, "Mr. Xiao, we are here to celebrate Lu Weng's birthday."

Lu Wan nodded, "We have heard of the rules, and if it weren't for this rule, we wouldn't have come now."

As he spoke, Lu Wan took out a wooden slip from his arms and handed it to Xiao He. Then he shouted loudly: "Liu Ji, Fengyi, will present a gift of 10,000 yuan to Mr. Lu's fiftieth birthday."

Before Xiao He could see what was written on the wooden slip, he was shocked when he heard Lu Wan's voice.

Not only was Xiao He surprised, but almost all the guests who came to participate in Lu Weng's birthday were stunned when they heard this.

Ten thousand yuan is not a small amount!

You should know that Xiao He works in the Renxiao shogunate and earns only three or four thousand coins a year. The person who came to celebrate his birthday before, the most important gift was Yongchi, the richest clan of Pei County, who only had three thousand coins. Liu Ji was indeed generous enough, and he only had ten thousand coins to take action?

But, does he have so much money? Where did he get so much money?

Many people who know Liu Ji's roots can't help but doubt it in their hearts. However, no one dared to stand up and speak because Fan Kuai was staring at them fiercely. I guess if someone popped up and questioned at this time, they would have to endure Fan Kuai's fist from Zhou Bo.

And the Lu Weng in the hall also heard Lu Wan's shouts.

Ruo was rich, and when he heard the "10,000 yuan", he couldn't help but be moved. After the gift was given by others, Lu Weng naturally could not sit down. He quickly stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the lobby to greet Liu Ji.

Although the Lu family moved to Pei County for almost a year, it was a coincidence that this year happened to be the most peaceful period for Liu Bang.

First healed his injuries at home, and after healed, he caught up with Ren Xiao's recruitment. Then he fought bloody battles and went home to recuperate...

People in Pei County will not mention Liu Bang's name even if they are fine. After all, such a person cannot be praised or offended. Since Liu Bang is not present in Pei, who will take the initiative to talk about him? If that sentence is wrong and he is retaliated by Liu Bang, it would be more than worth the loss.

Therefore, Mr. Lu didn't know much about Liu Bang.

Yong Chi saw Lu Weng's appearance and couldn't help but frowned slightly, feeling a little unhappy. He gave him three thousand coins and now he is in the chief position. Liu Bang made such a fuss, maybe the position of the chief... More importantly, he snatched his face and stolen his limelight.

However, even if he is as powerful as Yongchi, he dare not easily offend a person like Liu Bang.

Weng Lu walked out of the lobby. When Xiao He saw this, he couldn't help but complain secretly...

He quickly turned around and walked forward, blocked Lu Weng's way, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Lu Weng, you'd better not believe this person's words."

The implication is to tell Mr. Lu: Liu Bang loves bragging and is not very reliable in speaking.

But Lu Weng didn't listen. In his opinion, whether it was bragging or something was true. Since Liu Ji dared to write ten thousand yuan, it means that he was eager to get to know him. Moreover, since Liu Ji appeared, Lu Weng also saw the changes in people's faces.

This is an amazing person!
Chapter completed!