Xu Zhiqiong brought Qianniang to Zhuyuan City in Zhuzhou.
Zhuzhou was originally a prosperous place, but it had experienced some disasters before.
Two years ago, the harvest in Zhuzhou failed. The former prefect Kong Jianchen concealed the situation and paid a lot of grain to the court because of his greed for merit. However, the people suffered and Zhuzhou was starved to death.
Fortunately, the land in Zhuzhou was fertile, close to the Lujiang River, with rice, fish, and river transportation. When Xu Zhiqiong led the Zhuzhou judge, killed the prefect Kong Jianchen, and opened warehouses for relief, the situation finally improved.
At that time, the Zhuzhou Punishment Bureau was in a very bad state, the Taoist sect was withered, evil spirits appeared again, and the incense was about to be discontinued.
Under the pressure of Xu Zhiqiong, Qiu Zhixin, the sixth-rank lieutenant, reluctantly took up the important task of being a long-term historian and re-operated the Taoist sect.
After Xu Zhiqiong left, Qiu Zhixin led a group of judges to clean up all the counties in Zhuzhou. In less than a year, the vitality of Zhuzhou was basically restored.
At least in Zhuyuan City, the prosperity of the past can already be seen.
Xu Zhiqiong took Qianniang to stay in an inn, gave Qianniang some money, and asked her to stay in the city for a few days.
"I have something important to do, but I have to be away for a few days. Don't slack off here and study the techniques of famous masters."
Qianniang nodded. Although she was reluctant to give up, she didn't dare to miss Xu Lang's affairs.
There are two reasons why Xu Zhiqiong left Qianniang in Zhuzhou instead of sending her to the capital.
First, Qianniang was a subordinate of Liang Yuyao. Liang Yuyao had not yet returned to Beijing, so Qianniang went back first, which was obviously a taboo.
Second, the judge in Zhuzhou had a good relationship with Xu Zhiqiong, so he would naturally take care of Qianniang.
Xu Zhiqiong first went to the Zhuzhou Evil Punishment Department.
The place is still small, and the buildings are still a little dilapidated, but it is much cleaner than before.
A mortal official was sweeping the floor. When he saw Xu Zhiqiong coming, he asked sharply: "Who are you?"
The eyes of sinful karma of an ordinary official can only see his sinful karma, but not his cultivation. This official has just entered the Taoist sect and has no sense of what to say.
Xu Zhiqiong smiled and did not answer, but the official shouted: "I asked you something, why didn't you answer? Who are you, do you know where this place is? How can you just wander in?"
It's okay. In the past, the Zhuzhou Punishment Department was like an abandoned house, where you could come and go at will, but now at least there is someone who can look after the house.
The officials shouted, which alerted the judge's office, and Xu Xiaosheng, the recommended official, came out.
"Xu Tuiguan, you came just in time. This man broke into our Evil Punishment Department without permission!" The officer hurried forward to complain.
Xu Xiaosheng stared at Xu Zhiqiong for a moment, then said with surprise: "Isn't this Ma Changshi?"
The official was startled: "Changshi? Isn't our chief surname Qiu?"
Xu Xiaosheng was furious and scolded: "Go further away! You don't understand any rules, and you don't even have a wink!"
The official left angrily, and Xu Xiaosheng stepped forward and said, "Ma Changshi, don't be surprised, this man has just entered the imperial examination."
Xu Zhiqiong smiled and said to the mortal official: "Little brother, please wait a moment."
He stopped the mortal official and stuffed ten merit coins into his hand: "The gatekeeper is right. If a stranger comes, you must let him know. But if someone comes to avenge him, you can't
Keep people out of the door."
The official nodded, not politely, and accepted the merit.
Xu Zhiqiong followed Xu Xiaosheng to Qiu Zhixin's residence.
The Zhuzhou Punishment Department did not have a Chang Shi residence, but the largest room in the Punishment Department was given to the Chang Shi.
When he arrived at the door, Xu Zhiqiong did not dare to push it for fear of pushing down the door panel. Xu Xiaosheng smiled and said: This door panel has been repaired a long time ago, our chief minister repaired it himself..."
Bang!
Xu Xiaosheng pushed and the door panel fell off again.
Qiu Zhixin shouted from inside the room: "Who is this? With such great strength, you can't be gentle!"
Xu Xiaosheng laughed dryly and said: "Ma Changshi is here!"
Qiu Zhixin hurried to the door and said, "Brother Ma, when did you come? Please come inside and invite me, Xiaosheng, and buy some food and drink."
Xu Xiaosheng shrugged his eyebrows, seeming to have some difficulty, but still agreed.
Xu Zhiqiong stopped Xu Xiaosheng and gave him ten taels of silver. Xu Xiaosheng said with a confused look on his face: "This, how can this make Ma Changshi finally come here..."
"Just take it." Xu Zhiqiong looked at Qiu Zhixin's residence and couldn't help but sigh.
Not long after, wine and food were bought, and many people came.
Zhao Wugong, the handsome promoter at the time, has now become a man of great success.
Zhang Renxia, the guide bookkeeper, has now been promoted to the seventh rank and has become the first person in Zhuzhou's Punishment of Evil Division. Fei Yilang is the first person to live in the Punishment of Evil Division because there is no Yilang Courtyard in Zhuzhou's Punishment of Evil Division.
Qu Shaoyou, the eighth-rank master, has now been promoted to a promotion officer.
Liu Benxiang, a mortal official, has now been promoted to the eighth rank and is accumulating the last bit of merit for promotion to the seventh rank.
Qiu Zhixin was originally Suo Zhonglang, but now he has become a real fifth-grade Changshi.
The Zhuzhou Evil Punishment Department has recruited more than thirty new mortal officials. Compared with the beginning, the Taoist sect has indeed improved, but life is still poor.
Xu Zhiqiong said to Qiu Zhixin: "Zhuzhou is rich, but you haven't thought of a good life for your comrades?"
Qiu Zhixin sighed: "Not to mention them, I can't even find a living for myself, so I'm not a business person."
According to the rules of the Judge's Dao, those who join the Evil Punishment Division are fellow Taoists, and those who leave the Evil Punishment Division are strangers. There are rules within the Taoist sect, and everyone has their own livelihood outside the Taoist sect. Xu Zhiqiong should not be involved in this matter.
But he was the one who brought up the Zhuzhou Evil Punishment Department, and Xu Zhiqiong couldn't stand the Taoist sect's life like this.
He took a thousand taels of silver from Zhonglang Courtyard and gave it to Qiu Zhixin.
Qiu Zhixin repeatedly declined: "Brother, why do you give me this?"
"Find a business to let our comrades live a better life, and make the punishment department more decent!"
"How can I do any business?" Qiu Zhixin waved his hand and said, "Last time I borrowed hundreds of thousands of silver from a county magistrate's house. I kept one thousand and distributed the rest to the people. I originally wanted to open a silk and satin shop, but it took less than half a year.
, I will pay all my money! I am planning to close the shop, exchange some money, and divide it among the brothers."
"Don't close it!" Xu Zhiqiong waved his hand and said, "This money will be considered as my investment. You can continue to open a silk and satin shop and find a few more people who know how to do business to help you."
Zhao Wugong sighed: "Ma Changshi, please don't make things difficult for Qiu Changshi. The money will still have to be paid after all!"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "If you still lose money, I will inform the good doctor and handle it according to the sect's rules!"
Qiu Zhixin said in astonishment: "How can you say this? I just don't know how to do business. Is this still a violation of the rules?"
"Forget it, why don't you count it!" Xu Zhiqiong said, "If you pay a hundred taels, the good reward doctor will deduct your merit. If you pay five hundred taels, Shangguan Zhongzai will personally investigate. If you lose a thousand taels,
We Daomen Xingjun all have to come to you!"
Qiu Zhixin puffed up his chest and said, "Then I'll just pay it all. I've never seen Xingjun in my life. I accepted the punishment because I just want to broaden my horizons!"
Zhao Wugong asked: "Ma Changshi, have you seen our Daomen Xingjun?"
Xu Zhiqiong nodded and said: "I have seen that our Taoist star king has a good character, a kind heart, a handsome appearance, and a broad mind!"
"As soon as I heard what Ma Changshi said, I knew he was no ordinary person!" Zhao Wugong listened with rapt attention.
"Not vulgar, not vulgar at all!" Xu Zhiqiong praised repeatedly.
Liu Benxiang said: "Ma Changshi, when can you let me meet Mr. Xing?"
"What's the difficulty in meeting me? Please invite Xingjun to come down to earth another day and have a drink with you all!"
Qiu Zhixin shook his head and said: "Chang Shi is joking, how can Mr. Xing like me?"
In the eating and drinking room, Xu Zhiqiong asked everyone to help look after Qianniang, and everyone agreed.
After having enough wine and food, Xu Zhiqiong went to Qiancheng Punishing Evil Division.
He first went to Xia Hu and wanted to ask about the situation in Qiancheng Kingdom. It happened that Xia Hu bent down to sort out the magic weapons.
The round peach stood in front of his eyes. Xu Zhiqiong pounced on it without even thinking. Xia Hu staggered and almost fell down.
"What are you doing! You can't be gentler!" Xia Hu quickly packed up the talisman, "I almost broke the talisman!"
"What charm is so valuable?"
"Yang Wugang made it. This is called the Bu-Yang Formation. A talisman hides thirty groups of Yin Qi. Fifteen of the groups can turn into human forms and fight with the enemy. The other fifteen groups can turn into various traps."
Xu Zhiqiong was surprised: "Is this a charm made by Yang Wu?"
Xia Hu nodded and said: "I just made two of them the day before yesterday. I didn't think there was anything special at first. I used one yesterday. It was really powerful. One talisman held a group of bandits. Among the group of bandits, there were
There are more than a dozen people with cultivation, although their grades are not high, but none of them escaped."
Xu Zhiqiong held the talisman, and waves of pressure kept coming.
Tao Huayuan couldn't even make such a charm.
"Where did Yang Wu go?"
"I just went to the Yin Division with Shi Cheng. Someone was making trouble in the Yin Division. Brother Shi originally wanted to find you, but Yang Wu said he could handle it, so he let him go."
Xu Zhiqiong murmured: "As you become more capable, you will naturally have the confidence."
Xia Hu was stunned: "What confidence did you just say?"
Xu Zhiqiong did not answer, but asked: "Has Yang Wu been to Huntiandang recently?"
Xia Hu nodded: "I've been there, but I still left a letter."
"When did you go?"
"I went there on February 26th for three days. I remember those days clearly. I just happened to build the tombs of two money-grubbing magistrates."
"February 26..." Xu Zhiqiong also remembered this day.
He and Qianniang went to the ruins of the famous masters in the old land of Daqian, where they heard the guidance of the ancestors of the famous masters.
What's the connection here?
After hugging Xia Hu and being intimate for a while, Xu Zhiqiong took the opportunity to do something about it, but Xia Hu refused.
"Didn't you just say you wanted to be promoted? It's better to preserve your energy."
Xu Zhiqiong was stunned: "Do I have to save it?"
"Promotion is a big deal, a matter of life and death. If you are weak, how can you handle it?"
Xu Zhiqiong was unwilling to give in: "Then give me a bite of your lips!"
Xia Hu blushed and said, "Just eat it."
"Give me a bite of my conscience."
"You, if you want to eat, just eat..."
"I want to take a bite of the peach too!"
"You, you can eat, but you are not allowed to bite..."
Among all the mortals, except for Yang Wu and Chang Decai, only Xia Hu knew that Xu Zhiqiong's true cultivation level had reached the third level.
Now, he is going to be above the mortal world.
Holding Xu Zhiqiong in her arms, Xia Hu still couldn't believe it.
When we first met, he was the silly boy buying eggs at the entrance of the alley.
The first time he went to the Punishment Department, he couldn't even find Bei.
He had just settled two cases for him, and he was forced to call the official. This person is not serious...
This ungrateful person wants to be a star king.
If he becomes Xingjun, does he still want me to be his wife?
Xia Hu felt suddenly panicked. She looked down at Xu Zhiqiong and said, "Have you eaten enough?"
Xu Zhiqiong raised his head and said, "I haven't eaten the peach yet!"
"You, how do you want to eat it!"
"Lady, please raise your head and let me eat it!"
Peach, curl up?
That won't work, that, that would be so embarrassing!
It's embarrassing, it's embarrassing, so I just obey him. Anyway, he still calls me Niangzi.
…
When Conscience and Taozi were full, Xu Zhiqiong brought wine and food to Wu Si's studio.
He took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in.