Wang Muzhi took a sip of boiled tea, looked at Li Hui with bright eyes and said: "If I am not mistaken, you were qualified to be awarded an officer after the review by the Zhongzheng of Wu County last year. You seem to be a middle-ranking person."
Li Hui leaned over and said, "That's right, Mr. Fu has a good memory."
Wang Muzhi nodded and said: "It's a bit unexpected to be awarded an official of middle rank. The Gu family of Wu County treats you well. I'm afraid some of the Gu family's own children are of high rank but haven't gotten an official position, so they recommended you?"
Li Hui smacked Wang Muzhi's words and didn't know whether he should answer truthfully.
"Prince Fujun, I don't need to go into detail about the reason. Fujun should know the reason, so why ask?" Li Hui decided not to go around in circles with him and said straightforwardly.
Wang Muzhi was stunned, then he laughed and said: "How do I know the reason? You are just joking. That's all. If you don't want to mention it, I won't ask. Let's talk about other things. For example...
What is your impression of me?"
Li Hui thought for a while and said: "Xiaguan is a newbie, and he has just come to Jiangbei to serve as an official. I have only known Wang Fujun for more than a month. I dare not make unreasonable comments, and I am not qualified to comment on Shangguan."
Wang Muzhi laughed, shook his head and said: "It's not that you dare not comment, nor that you are not qualified to comment, but you don't have a good impression of me, so you are unwilling to say bad words, right?"
Li Hui frowned and said, "I'm afraid the Lord is drunk, but I have no intention of doing so."
Wang Muzhi smiled and said: "Li Hui, let me guess what you are thinking. You have a very bad impression of me, don't you? In your heart, when you were in Liyang County, you inquired about Juchao County
The situation is dangerous, but I didn’t say a word about it, and even scolded you. You must feel that I have harmful intentions. In your heart, you must feel that I am responsible for Lu Zhan’s murder. You also have feelings for me.
Extremely wary, right?"
Li Hui was a little surprised. Wang Muzhi's words were so direct, which Li Hui didn't expect. Li Hui thought that even if he mentioned the matter, Wang Muzhi would try his best to deny it. What's more, he said it himself. Back then in Li Hui
In Yang County, Wang Muzhi did not say anything when he knew the truth. Even when he asked him face to face, he still scolded himself for talking nonsense. It is indeed unjustifiable to say that Wang Muzhi was not responsible.
However, how much responsibility does Wang Muzhi have? Did he cause Lu Zhan's death? Not necessarily.
"Li Hui, have I told you what's on your mind?" Seeing Li Hui's silence, Wang Muzhi looked at him with twinkling eyes and asked in a deep voice.
Li Hui slowly said: "Do you want to listen to the truth or lies?"
Wang Muzhi said: "Of course, listen to the truth."
Li Hui nodded and said: "Okay, then I will tell the truth. I was really confused about Wang Fujun's behavior, but that was at the beginning. Now, I seem to understand a little bit."
"What do you understand?" Wang Muzhi asked in a deep voice.
Li Huidao: "I feel that I am not targeting Magistrate Lu and I. I have never interacted with Lu Zhan and Wang Fujun. We are both appointed officials for the first time. Before this, I have never interacted with Wang Fu.
I have never had any grudges with you. The prince will not have any resentment or murderous intention towards Lu Zhan and I, who are strangers to each other. Therefore, logically speaking, you should not know about the dangerous situation in Juchao County and try your best to conceal it. There must be something else here.
reasons."
Wang Muzhi was surprised. Li Hui's thinking was very clear. The fact that he could analyze to this point showed that he had extraordinary knowledge.
"So, according to you, why did I do that?" Wang Muzhi asked with a smile.
"It's better for you, your subordinate, not to talk nonsense, lest disaster comes from your mouth." Li Hui said.
Wang Muzhi said: "What if I insist on you telling me?"
Li Hui's drunkenness was rising and he said in a deep voice: "Since Wang Fujun insists on telling the official, the official will talk nonsense. Please forgive me for offending me."
"Don't worry, I told you that we were just chatting. What we said today will disappear as soon as we leave this room. I will pretend that you didn't say anything. A gentleman keeps his promise, so you can rest assured." Wang Muzhi said solemnly.
Li Hui nodded and said: "Okay, I will venture to make a guess. I think it's not that there is a feud between Wang Fujun, Xiaguan and Lu County Magistrate, but maybe it's because of my and Lu Zhan's status. Maybe Wang Fujun is the same."
There is a dispute between the Gu family of Wu County and the Lu family, and Lu Zhan and I just happened to meet each other. Or maybe there is a feud or conflict of interest between Wang Fujun's family and my Wu Jun family, so Wang Fujun did what he did."
Wang Muzhi's eyes became sharp and his expression became stern, and he said in a deep voice: "Who told you this? Do you know my origin?"
Li Hui hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "Mr. Wangfu, no one told me this. I am just guessing. If there is any inappropriate offense, please forgive me."
Wang Muzhi realized that he had made a mistake. He was really shocked because Li Hui actually knew the inside story. With Li Hui's age and experience, how could he guess the reason behind this? So he concluded that someone told him
Li Hui became wary.
"Interesting, you actually think so. Haha, very interesting." Wang Muzhi laughed, noncommittal.
Li Hui observed the words and expressions, but knew that his guess was close to the truth.
"So, who do you think was the culprit for Lu Zhan's murder? Should I be responsible for this?" Wang Muzhi asked in a deep voice.
Li Hui had already picked up some flavor. It was definitely not chatting tonight, but Wang Muzhi was testing his tone. What his purpose was, there was no way of knowing for the time being. But one thing is for sure, if Wang Muzhi really and
There is a feud between the Wujun family, so I must not take it lightly at this moment. Although he came to congratulate today and behaved very modestly, all these behaviors are probably to numb himself and deceive himself. If the hostility cannot be eliminated, it will be very difficult to
There may be another storm.
Lu Zhan died, but he was still alive and had solved the problem in Juchao County. This may not be what Wang Muzhi wanted.
"I'd better tell the truth. From my point of view, the biggest culprit of Magistrate Lu's death was not others but himself."
Wang Mu was stunned, with a strange expression on his face, and then he laughed and said: "County Magistrate Li, are you not afraid that Lu Zhan's spirit in heaven will blame you when you speak like this? What you say is a bit unkind and unjust."
Li Hui shook his head and said: "I'm just telling the truth. In Liyang County, I already reported to him the situation in Juchao County that I had inquired about, and tried my best to dissuade him from coming to Juchao County to take office, so as not to encounter danger. However,
But he turned a deaf ear to my words. Before entering Juchao County, the refugee commander Wang Guangzu also sent a warning to Lu Zhan on the way, telling Lu Zhan not to enter the city. It was the last chance to avoid danger, but Lu Zhan still regarded the threats from others as
Hearing nothing, he still chose to go to the city. I am not disrespectful to the deceased, but Magistrate Lu was too arrogant and did not listen to others to dissuade him, which was the main reason why he was killed. If not, he would never have died in Juchao County.
"
Wang Muzhi stroked his beard and pondered, then nodded slowly and said: "So that's what you think. Since you know that Juchao County is dangerous, why did you have to bravely follow him to die? Could it be that you already knew that today's situation would happen?
"
Li Hui smiled bitterly and said: "I don't have the ability to predict the future. How could I know what would happen today? Magistrate Lu insisted on entering the city. How could I run away in the face of the battle? Isn't this contempt of the court? If an official refuses to take office when ordered, not only will he be banned from official service for life, but he will also be banned from official service for life.
He will be questioned even more. I can only bite the bullet and follow him into the city."
Wang Muzhi smiled and said: "What you said is true, but you will die if you take office. Aren't you afraid of death? Even if you are banned from serving as an official for life, even if you are imprisoned, at least you still have life."
Li Hui said in a deep voice: "Xiaguan is naturally afraid of death. Who is not afraid of death? But since Xiaguan decided to come to Juchao County to take office, he has been determined to do whatever it takes, including dying here. Since Xiaguan accepted to take office in Juchao County,
, so I came with the determination to move forward. I already put life and death aside."
Wang Muzhi frowned and said, "How do you say this? Did you know that this was going to be dangerous from the beginning?"
Li Hui smiled and said, "That's right. The boss of the Gu family made it clear to me that Juchao County is a dangerous place, and coming to work here is no less than taking risks in a dragon's pond and a tiger's den."
Wang Mu was stunned and said in astonishment: "Oh? They actually told you clearly? What else did they say?"
Li Hui gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "Dong Weng of the Gu family said that this time the imperial court appointed officials, someone deliberately awarded the official positions in Juchao County to the Lu family and the Gu family in Wu County. They forced the two families to give up the official appointment. In this way
, then we can deprive the Gu and Lu clans of their official quotas on the grounds that the Lu family and the Gu family refused to be appointed officials by the imperial court, further reducing the status of the Wujun gentry in the imperial court and marginalizing them."
Wang Muzhi was shocked in his heart, but his face remained calm, and he said in a deep voice: "Oh? The Gu family in Wu County and the Lu family in Wu County are from a wealthy family in the south of the Yangtze River. How could the imperial court treat them like this? I'm afraid these words are a little untrue."
Li Hui said in a deep voice: "I don't know the specific reason. I only know that this is a big problem for the Wujun family. No one from the Gu family is willing to take the risk because they don't want to die.
Here, the Gu family does not want their children to die in Juchao County. That’s why Dong Weng came to ask me if I would like to come to Juchao County to take up the post of county magistrate."
Wang Muzhi smiled and said: "So, don't they use you as a scapegoat? In such a dangerous time, the children of the Gu family refused, so they forced you to take risks?"
Li Hui shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, you can't say that. First of all, the owner of the Gu family made it clear to me and let me make my own decision, not forcing me to do so. Secondly, this matter is an excellent opportunity for me. Li Hui
Coming from a poor family, it is not easy to have such an opportunity."
Wang Muzhi pondered: "You mean, you also hope to take this opportunity to get ahead? So you are willing to take risks?"
Li Hui nodded and said: "Exactly. For me, this is not a risk, but an opportunity, isn't it?"
Wang Muzhi naturally understood what Li Hui meant. It was almost impossible for a small family from a poor family to want to become an official. By chance, Li Hui got this opportunity and agreed regardless of anything. This was indeed an opportunity.