"The villain is Geng Yuanju, the shopkeeper of the Shao family. He is responsible for the business of the Shao family in Xingyuan Mansion! In addition to this restaurant, we have many other businesses in Xingyuan Mansion..." the shopkeeper said respectfully.
Of course he knew about Shen Tang, and even more about his young lady’s marriage.
In fact, after Shen Tang and Shao Muyu got married, Mr. Shao sent letters to the Shao family shopkeepers everywhere.
Therefore, although Geng Yuanju met Shen Tang for the first time, he was very familiar with Shen Tang's news and situation.
Furthermore, my boss has such an uncle, and the shopkeepers like them are three points straighter than before when they go out! Just kidding, sitting on one side and being a marquis, others may take advantage of Shao Muyu.
But the marriage between Shao Muyu and Shen Tang was a match made in heaven, and the Shao family even took advantage of it.
After all, no matter how powerful the Shao family is, isn't it just a family of merchants?
Looking at it now, my boss has changed from a merchant to a county magistrate in the blink of an eye, and my young lady is a third-grade imperial concubine. This is much more prosperous than before.
Therefore, Shen Tang has a very high status in the eyes of the Shao family shopkeepers!
"The little man has come a long way. I didn't know it was my uncle who came..." the shopkeeper said happily, "Uncle, please wait a moment. I will ask the cook to make some special dishes for my uncle to try."
"There's no rush..." Shen Tang waved his hand, "I can use that drunkard down there! You can have him temporarily housed, and when he wakes up later, tell me and I'll go see him."
"We have quite a few wing rooms in our backyard. How about we arrange for the younger one to live in a wing room?"
The shopkeeper is not reluctant at all. He just follows his uncle's instructions. Why do you ask so many questions?
Furthermore, what is my uncle’s status now?
The imperial envoy patrolling the Fifth Route came here hiding his identity this time, and he obviously had a deep meaning.
The shopkeeper turned around and went out. After a while, the boy who just now walked out the door again and said, "This drunkard is too smoky. Ermazi, take him to the backyard woodshed! He has been affecting our business here. It’s not a big deal either.”
The shopkeeper and Pi Sheng returned to the house. Shen Tang motioned for the two of them to sit down, and then asked Geng Yuanju, "Xingyuan Mansion suffered a lot from the flood this time, but I think the local officials' arrangements were quite appropriate." , since you are here in Xingyuan Mansion, you must know some things, tell me what you know."
Geng Yuanju thought about it, and then said to Shen Tang, "I dare not deceive my uncle. The local officials in Xingyuan Prefecture are actually no different from other places! How can these people care about the lives of the people?
However, I also heard that my uncle showed great power in Mianzhou and almost punished all the officials in Mianzhou. The people of Xingyuan Mansion certainly also know how powerful my uncle is.
Therefore, they were afraid that my uncle would make trouble, so they just acted like this."
"Before, no one cared about the refugees outside Xingyuan Mansion.
Every day, the Yamen puts out a mouthful of gruel as a show to prevent people from making trouble, and that's all.
It was not until three or four days ago that these people changed their previous attitude.
Not only have a lot of extra manpower been dispatched from various places, but a lot of money and food have also been allocated to provide relief to these refugees..."
Geng Yuanju's family is clean. If it were other people or other things, he would never offend these officials for no reason! The Shao family is rich, but these officials have power.
But Shen Tang asked, his uncle's affairs were naturally more important.
Shen Tang nodded slightly, he was not surprised by this situation, or in other words, this was expected.
However, if this is good for these people, these local officials are not doing it in vain.
The shopkeeper was like a chatterbox, telling Shen Tang all the big and small things he knew.
"I heard something, but I don't know whether it is true or not!"
Suddenly, Geng Yuanju lowered his voice and spoke to Shen Tang.
"oh?
tell me the story!"
"I heard from a few officials who came to our inn to drink. This time Lianshui County was severely affected by the disaster. Many villages were directly washed away! And when the county government went to distribute disaster relief grains, not only old Brown rice is directly mixed with more than half of the sand.
For this reason, they even ate people to death! When some villagers started making trouble, the county government arrested a few of them! But for some reason, they died in the county government prison!"
"At this time, people in several villages were unwilling to do so, and everyone was in trouble.
Even the county government was surrounded! However, it is said that Xingyuan Mansion directly sent soldiers and horses to supervise, and they were ruthless, and many people died!"
"There are tens of thousands of displaced people affected by the disaster in Lianshui County, how can this happen?
Some of them organized themselves at a young age and rushed directly to the county town to steal official food! Isn't this a rebellion?
Moreover, after all, they are just ordinary people. If a large group of officers and soldiers come, won't they suffer?
Therefore, these refugees just took over the mountain and became kings, and the officers and soldiers could not do anything to them."
Listening to the shopkeeper's low voice, Shen Tang's eyes burst out with cold murderous intent! If this matter is true, then both the magistrate of Xingyuan Prefecture and the magistrate of Lianshui County are all worthy of death! In fact, everyone involved Anyone who comes across this matter should be killed.
After the shopkeeper finished speaking, Shen Tang nodded with a cold face, "Don't let anyone know about my arrival for now! Let's wait until tomorrow!"
"Don't worry, uncle!"
The shopkeeper nodded respectfully.
After eating and drinking, the shopkeeper personally took Shen Tang to an exquisite courtyard behind the restaurant!
"Pi Sheng, ask someone to watch that drunkard. When he wakes up, bring him directly to see me!"
Shen Tang gave instructions to Pi Sheng.
Sitting alone in the room, Shen Tang was not sleepy at all! Thinking about what the shopkeeper had just said, he was filled with rage! He still underestimated the greed and cruelty of these local officials. Perhaps, in their eyes, these refugees were not human beings. Human life is like a piece of grass and no one cares about it!
Although this matter has not been confirmed, nothing can come out of nowhere! The truth of the matter may be slightly different from what the shopkeeper knows, but it must have happened!
If it was just a matter of corruption, Shen Tang could raise his hand slightly.
The officialdom of the Song Dynasty was like this. He not only killed all the corrupt officials, but also the atmosphere had been formed. Killing one corrupt official might not change anything.
However, if these officials treat the people as livestock, then Shen Tang will never show mercy! They can kill the people without mercy, so what is the difference between them and foreigners?
Such people should all die!
"Bang, bang, bang..." There was a knock on the door.