Han Du took the lead and led the Shanzi Battalion towards Xi'an. The army rolled up smoke and dust all over the sky and marched unimpeded. Anyone who saw it would stand under the road in advance to avoid it.
After the army passed by, the people pointed at the billowing smoke.
"What's going on here?"
"I don't know. Is there going to be another war somewhere?"
"There is nothing wrong with fighting. If the imperial court had not attacked the Meng Yuan people, then maybe Meng Yuan would have sent his troops south."
"This is reasonable. Anyway, as long as the court does not increase taxes, we can fight this war however we like."
"Hey, don't talk about it. I was reminded by this old man that the imperial court has fought a lot of wars in the past few years, and they haven't really raised taxes once. Do you think it's strange?"
Some people nodded in agreement, while others seemed to have understood the secret of heaven. They raised their heads with pretense and said disdainfully: "What's so strange about this? After all, the Holy Emperor is in court!"
Naturally, Han Du's trip was not to fight, but to go to Xi'an to deal with the aftermath on Lao Zhu's order. To put it bluntly, he was going to wipe the King of Qin's butt. .??.
Zhu Xi is still confined in the palace. Whether he can come out depends on how Han Du handles the matter this time.
Fortunately, Lao Zhu, who has always been stingy, did not need Han Du to pay a penny this time for his son's hemorrhage.
Since he didn't bleed, Han Du still had no objection to taking such a trip.
As soon as we entered the territory of Shaanxi, people gradually left Shanziying.
Before that, Han Du called in all the Shaanxi people from Shanzi camp and got official letters from the Ministry of War, asking them to disarm and return to their hometowns to serve as district chiefs and grain chiefs. This was something Han Du reported to Lao Zhu early in the morning.
Only now have I had the opportunity to start implementing it.
Moreover, in order to prevent accidents, each Han Du arranged for two people to follow them. The soldiers of the three mountain camps and the bandits who usually numbered thirty or forty people armed with firearms were no match for them.
"Remember, after you go back, you must pay attention to all kinds of illegal things done by local officials. If you find anything, you must report it immediately. Of course, the most important thing after you go back now is to first inquire about the King of Qin's plundering of people's wealth and see what kind of things are there.
People’s fields have been occupied and their children have been sold. Whose hands does the field fall into now? Where have their children been sold?”
"Yes, Lord Marquis, the young ones have all remembered it."
A group of rich and powerful people stood in front of Han Du, listening to his lectures. Each of these people had dark skin and ridges on their faces. They looked no different from the farmers who faced the loess and turned their backs to the sky, but they were all literate.
They can write. Moreover, Han Du also specially taught them a way to write cipher text, so that they can send a message without any problem.
After casually sending the people away, Han Du continued to move forward.
Shiquan County.
Three weirdos came to the county today. Their clothes were very different from those of ordinary people, but despite being weird, they gave people a simple and capable feeling. There was a cloth belt wrapped around the waist, and a cowhide box was pinned to the back.
Carrying a round iron shield.
Other people couldn't understand it, but the bright and dazzling iron shields carried by the three people were crisscrossed with long and short gaps, and some even showed streaks of dark red and black.
It was obviously just a few scratches, but it revealed an aura of deep cold, which made people intimidated. They didn't dare to step forward at all, so they could only stand from a distance and point at the three of them.
The three of them had long been accustomed to this kind of advice to the people, and they walked towards the county government office calmly.
"Stop, who is coming? This is the Shiquan County government office. How can we allow you to break in without permission?" Two government officials on the left and right immediately strode forward, pulled out half of their sabers and stopped the three of them.
Facing the sword that was so close at hand, the three of them didn't even take a second look.
The menacing and ferocious appearance of the yamen servants could scare ordinary people, but it had no effect on the three of them. Compared with the ferocity of the yamen servants and the Meng Yuan cavalry, they were like extremely well-behaved babies. And the three of them were able to
The Mongolian and Yuan cavalry were beaten to pieces, how could a few government officials be able to scare them away?
The two government officials also noticed that the people who came were not simple. Although the clothes of the three people were not gorgeous and the fabric was only cotton.
But the cold light in the eyes of the three of them was enough to make the blood of the two government officials freeze into ice.
The three of them were stopped by the Yamen servant and stopped moving.
But the two government officials each secretly swallowed their saliva, couldn't help but shrink their legs back, and asked in trembling voices: "What do you want to do?"
The leader forced a smile on his face and cupped his hands. It was okay that he didn't smile, but when he smiled, a scar on his face was like a centipede lying on his face, and it became so ferocious that it made people feel chilly.
"Two officials, I am very polite. According to the order of the imperial court, I have an official letter that needs to be submitted to the county magistrate." After saying that, he took out an official letter from his arms and held it in his hand.
Please ask two government officials to take a look at the front.
The two of them saw that the visitor spoke kindly, and the coldness in their hearts subsided a little. After taking a closer look and seeing that the official letter in this person's hand did not look like a forgery, they politely replied: "You guys wait here, I'll let you know."
"Thank you, sir." The leader bowed his hands again and thanked the two government officials.
The two of them stayed there and stared for three days, then turned around and hurried towards the county government office.
In the back hall of the county government office, the county magistrate was flirting with his concubine. The two of them were having a great time feeding one and eating the pastries and fruit plates.
The yamen servant walked into the back hall and happened to encounter this scene. He jumped back as if he had been burned. After waiting for a moment in fear, he saw that the county magistrate and the two people did not notice his arrival.
He cleared his throat and shouted carefully: "My lord, my lord"
The county magistrate was in the mood, so he was naturally very impatient to be interrupted. Especially when the concubine curled her seductive little mouth and twisted her body in the magistrate's arms, with a face full of displeasure to let the magistrate.
Greatly blazing.
He stretched out his hand to rub his concubine, smiled and comforted her a few times, and raised his hand to signal her to step aside first.
After the concubine left reluctantly, the county magistrate's face suddenly darkened. He wanted to see who dared to seek death and disturb him at this time.
"Who is it? Come in here!"
The yamen servant was so frightened by the county magistrate's words that when he crossed the threshold, he actually stumbled and rolled around on the ground.
The yamen servant turned over and saw the look of the county magistrate who wanted to kill him. He didn't even care about the pain on his body and replied in a daze: "Your Majesty, the imperial court has sent an official letter."
Fortunately, this yamen servant had a flexible mind and responded quickly, so he used the imperial court as a shield.
Sure enough, when he heard that it was someone from the imperial court, the county magistrate didn't want to get angry with the Yamen servant anymore. He straightened his official uniform a few times, straightened his official hat, and asked, "Is it someone from the government?"
While asking questions, he walked past the yamen servant and headed straight out the door.
"No, they are from the imperial court and the Ministry of War." The Yamen servant carefully answered the county magistrate and pointed to the sky with his finger.
"Oh?" The county magistrate paused and looked back at the Yamen servant strangely.
After pondering for a few breaths, he immediately made a decision and said: "Quick, go and invite people in. I will be here shortly."
When the county magistrate saw the three of them, he wanted to kick the yamen servant to death. His eyes were like knives, scratching the yamen servant's face, as if asking, 'How dare you tell me about these three people?
Is this someone from the Ministry of War?'
But now that everyone is in front of them, the county magistrate has to ask: "I heard that the three of you are here under the order of the Ministry of War, are you not pretending?"
The county magistrate was sitting in the hall, with his chin raised and his body leaning back on the chair, holding a gavel in his hand. His suspicious eyes kept going back and forth between the three of them, trying to find out their flaws.
The leader bowed and immediately took out the official letter from his arms and presented it with both hands: "Your Excellency, please take a look."
The magistrate signaled the master to go up and pick up the things.
When he took it and took a look, a look of surprise suddenly flashed across the county magistrate's face. He didn't expect that this thing was real. The seal was covered with
The seal of the Ministry of War.
He tore it open casually, took out the document inside, and unfolded it to take a look. After a moment, he couldn't help but look up at the leader, shook his head with a doubtful expression and said: "The Ministry of War actually gave you an order, and it was just for a grain commander. This is unreasonable.
It’s too ridiculous.”
After saying that, he raised his head and stared at the three of them without blinking, his eyes constantly scanning their faces back and forth, trying to get some clues.
The leader met the county magistrate's gaze without fear and said calmly: "I can understand that adults have doubts, but the seal of the Ministry of War can't be fake, right?"
The county magistrate chuckled twice. It is because the seal is real that I can talk to you here calmly. Otherwise, you and the others would have been arrested long ago.
The county magistrate didn't think anyone dared to fake the seal of the Ministry of War, so he nodded in approval: "Okay, but"
He deliberately prolonged his tone and raised his eyes to look at the leader. .??.??
The leader stood there with a calm expression, as if he didn't care about the magistrate's words.
Seeing that this person was not fooled, the county magistrate had no choice but to sigh on purpose, glanced at him and said, "However, this matter is a bit difficult to handle now. All the grain directors in the county are full now, and there is no vacancy. Why don't you wait a little longer?
When there is a vacancy, will your subordinate immediately appoint you as the head of grain?"
The leader smiled little by little, and said in a tone that was no longer friendly: "Do you think that the villain is a commoner who has never seen the world? The villain joined the army at the age of eighteen and has been in the army for twenty-eight years.
Is there any place in the whole world that I haven’t been to, or someone that I haven’t seen?”
Although the county magistrate said that if there is a vacancy, he will fill it for this person, but this grain chief is basically the fat man in the county. No matter who sits on him, he would like to work for a lifetime. Even after he finishes the job, he still has to think about it.
Give this position of grain chief to your descendants. Who would be stupid enough to free up the position for others?
If this person had defeated the county magistrate just now, he would have been manipulated by the county magistrate. There will be no vacancy for the grain director until the end of time.
The county magistrate was sitting in the hall quietly watching him show off, but these words alone could not scare him.
"Your Excellency said that there is no vacancy for the grain chief in the county, so I dare to ask your lord, who appointed these grain chiefs?" The leader leaned towards the direction where the county magistrate was sitting, and said with a hint.
When the county magistrate heard that this person's words meant to accuse him, he couldn't help but frown, and suddenly became a little unhappy. He lowered his face, sneered and said: "Of course he was appointed by me. This is the power of this county."
, what’s wrong?”
"Of course there is something wrong." Seeing this, the leader was no longer polite.
He raised his hand and pointed at the official letter on the county magistrate's desk and said: "It doesn't matter if you appoint other grain chiefs, the younger one must be the grain chief of his hometown. You must see clearly, the younger grain chief is the director of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel."
If they are appointed at the same time, can your orders be more powerful than those of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel? You should leave your official credentials to the villain."
The county magistrate had the final say in the appointment of low-level officials such as the grain chief. However, the court did not explicitly stipulate this. It was just a tacit and unspoken rule.
But it's different now. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel give direct orders, so the county magistrate will naturally have to stay away from the orders.
At this time, everyone in the hall didn't know what kind of expressions and words to use in response.
The county magistrate smiled awkwardly. He wanted to agree to this person, but he felt very embarrassed. Because he found out that the grain chief of this person's hometown was the one who gave his daughter to him as a concubine half a year ago. Thinking of the little girl
The feeling of my warm and fragrant jade snake waist struggling in my arms made my heart tremble. If my father was driven away like this, why wouldn't she start a fight with me?
"There is still a vacancy for the grain director, but it is not in your hometown, but in Linshui. I wonder if you are willing to go there and submit? You have said it yourself, you have not been back for many years, and there is no one at home compared to
Well, it’s not the same as being a grain manager anywhere?”
"I disappoint you. Although I don't know if there is anyone at home, I remember everything about my hometown so vividly that I want to go back. If it's somewhere else, please forgive me for not being able to follow my orders.
." Under the general consensus that fallen leaves return to their roots, the leader naturally wants to return to his hometown.
What is the status of the county magistrate? He is the local emperor in this county. Otherwise, how could people call the county magistrate Bailihou? All matters in the county are decided by the county magistrate.
Not to mention that this man is just a vulgar soldier now, even if he becomes the chief of grain, he still has to be controlled by the county magistrate and listen to him. In the eyes of the county magistrate, as long as this person is a little smart, he can listen to it.
I understood what he meant. But I never expected that this person would directly contradict his words.
Who gives him the courage to be so unscrupulous? If he is not punished, then this person will not take him as the county magistrate even more seriously in the future? Moreover, there are a lot of people around, such as the master, the county magistrate, and the government servants.
For the sake of it. If he lets this person go easily, then where is the majesty of his parents and officials?
The county magistrate immediately slapped the gavel in his hand and shouted: "You are a bold and unruly man. You dare to try to deceive me. I will serve you with severe punishment."
Upon receiving the order, the officials on the left and right rushed forward with swords in their hands and took the three of them into custody.
The leader raised his hand and said calmly: "Wait a minute! Sir, is the villain's document fake?"
The county magistrate sneered a few times, sighing secretly that these mud-legged people were still too young, thinking that with just a piece of paper, he, the county magistrate, could do nothing about it. He raised his hand and played with the black and hard gavel in his hand, and the edges and corners
He kowtowed to his hands and said in a stern voice: "The document is of course true, but why do you say that this document is yours? I also suspected that you were criminal thieves and robbed and killed the real owner of the document in order to deceive me."
In fact, the county magistrate also knew that his reason was unjustifiable, because if he was really an imposter, then this person should agree with his proposal instead of opposing it without hesitation.
But so what if it’s true, so what if it’s fake?
What old bureaucrats like county magistrates are best at is turning the truth into falsehood and the falsehood into truth.
The leader glanced around and saw that everyone was still silent even though they knew full well. Not only did they not expose the lie of the county magistrate, they even looked at him with hostility. He raised his head and said with a smile: "Sir
You don’t think that a villain has no roots or roots and can be kneaded at will, right?”
The yamen servants who were walking towards the three people without stopping at first couldn't help but stop at the same time when they heard this, as if being held down by an invisible force.
The county magistrate also felt a slight thump in his heart. Faced with the looks of all the government officials looking over him, he signaled them to stay put for the time being.
Without waiting for the county magistrate to ask, the leader raised his head and said loudly: "We are under the command of the Marquis of Zhenhai, and the Marquis is in Xi'an now. Your Excellency thinks that the villain is a fake, so why not go to Xi'an with the villain to find the Marquis?"
Confront me?"
Hearing what this person said, the county magistrate suddenly forced a smile and said: "Hahaha, I'm serious, I'm serious. The Marquis of Zhenhai is taking care of everything, how can I come to disturb you? Your surname is Zhao, brother Xian Zhao, right? Oh my, I just said that
It's just a routine matter. Brother Zhao Xian should know that today's gangsters are doing all kinds of evil, so I am just a precaution and a test."
Originally, the county magistrate had never doubted the authenticity of this person. The reason why he deliberately framed him was just to get a handle on this person. Now that he heard that this person had moved the Marquis of Zhenhai out, the county magistrate naturally did not dare to think about it again.
Try to fool him.
This is not the last straw that breaks the camel's back, this is the mountain that can crush the camel into powder.
He is a small seventh-grade county magistrate, and the Marquis of Zhenhai can kill him without even using his fingers. If he casually expresses his displeasure with him, countless people from the Shaanxi Chief Envoy will jump out and kill him.
I would like to take this opportunity to claim credit from the Marquis of Zhenhai.
How could he, a county magistrate, dare to offend the Marquis of Zhenhai? He didn't even dare to offend the warrior in front of him now. As for what to do with the concubine's father, it's not like his father told him to go to Linshui. If he wants to, he can do it. If he doesn't, he can do it.
Just get out!
"Your Majesty, you're being polite. I'm just eager to return home after many years. What I just said was a bit harsh, so please don't worry about me." The leader also knows how to be diplomatic and sophisticated, so he knows that the county magistrate is not afraid.
He did not want to offend the Marquis of Zhenhai behind him, so he lowered his attitude towards him like this. He just happened to get off the donkey along the slope and gave the county magistrate face.