In the first ten days of the twelfth lunar month in the thirty-first year of Qin Shihuang, although the weather was cold, it had not yet reached the point of snowing, and the sky was still dark. In Pei County, Sishui County, the lights were already on at a small official residence in the backyard.
There was also a neighing sound in the stable, probably the servants were loading the carriages for the horses. .
When the white fish belly appears in the east, under the wooden plaque with the word "Xiao Zhai" written on it, the door opens, and two horses come out. One is dressed in black, wears a magpie tail crown, has a long beard, and is forty years old.
The middle-aged officials above him were sitting at attention in the public. Behind him were two servants and an ox cart carrying gifts. Judging from this posture, he was going out for a banquet.
But the carriage had just reached the street. Next to Xiao's house, the door of the house with "Cao's house" written on it creaked open, revealing a small official who was also dressed in black, wearing a warrior's crown and a short beard.
He stopped the carriage, raised his hands to the people in the carriage and said:
"Brother Xiao, it's really early."
The officials in the car also stood up solemnly and got out of the car to return the salute: "Brother Cao, it's not too late either."
Of these two people, the man in the car is called Xiao He. He is the chief official of Pei County. He is in charge of the advancement and retreat of local officials. His status is second only to the orders, prime ministers and Wei. The man under the car is called Cao Shen. He is the prison warden of Pei County and specializes in
In charge of judicial and prison work.
Cao Shen said: "Today is a holiday for officials, but Brother Xiao left home so early. Could it be that he is going to Liu Ji's wedding?"
He seemed to like and dislike Liu Ji at the same time, and laughed and scolded: "Liu Ji, who used to be a ranger, is now just fighting for food. Not only was he lucky enough to marry Lu Gong's daughter, but he also allowed Brother Xiao to deign to attend the banquet. It's really
What a great honor!”
Xiao He nodded and said: "My home is in Fengyi, and I have been friends with Liu Ji for many years. Since he personally visited me and invited me to be the person to officiate the wedding, it's hard not to go."
Everyone said that marrying the Lu family's daughter to the old bachelor Liu Ji was like flowers stuck in dog excrement. However, Xiao He had his own ideas. Whenever others asked him what he thought, Xiao He just said lightly: "Mr. Lu is like this."
It is natural for Lu Gong to do it."
Fengyi is dozens of miles away to the west of Peixian County. It's a day's journey. Xiao He has to set off immediately, otherwise he will not be able to catch up with the wedding tomorrow evening.
Cao Shen stopped Xiao He, shook his head and said, "I was also invited by Liu Ji. I originally wanted to go with Brother Xiao, but today, I'm afraid neither you nor I can leave!"
Xiao He wondered: "Why?"
Cao Shen said: "When I was on duty at the county temple last night, the county monarch sent a chief historian to inform me that a high official from the border area was going to pass through Pei County and stay overnight. You and I must accompany the county monarch to receive him and we will not be absent!"
Peixian County is located on the bank of Surabaya River. You can go down the river to Pengcheng and Donghai County, go to Qi, Lu in the north, and connect to Liang and Song in the west. It can be said that it is a place with good connections in all directions, and officials often come and go.
Officials at the county level can be received in the pavilion. But if a high official at the county level passes by, County Magistrate Pei will come out to receive him attentively. Xiao He is not only the chief official, the right-hand man of the county magistrate, but also a wealthy man in the county.
The representative of the family, every time we entertain, he is naturally indispensable.
Xiao He frowned. Although he was unwilling to break his promise, he could not offend the county magistrate, so he had to ask his servant to drive to Fengyi and tell Liu Ji that he might not arrive until tomorrow afternoon.
"Brother Xiao, are you planning to rush there overnight after the entertainment?"
Cao Shen was surprised that Xiao He cared so much about Liu Ji. When Liu Ji went to serve, everyone gave him three hundred coins, but Xiao He gave five hundred coins. Now he is more willing to brave the cold wind.
Xiao He just smiled:
"I have said that if a husband makes a promise lightly, he will be distrustful, and everything that is easy will be difficult. Even though he is just a small official, he is not willing to easily lose the foundation of practicing Taoism. By the way, the big official you mentioned in the border area,
Where are you going to take up your post and what kind of official position do you want to be?"
Although Cao Shen always regarded Xiao He as a role model, after all, he was slightly younger than Xiao He and had served as a thief. He was a powerful man. He said with excitement: "Speaking of this person, he is famous! Brother Xiao still remembers those who went there last year
After the corvettes who served in Guanzhong and Saibei returned to Pei County, who was the most mentioned person?"
The citizens of Peixian County went to Xianyang and Shangjun to do hard work and transport grain. Ten of them died and ten were left behind. Only about thirty people were brought back by Liu Ji. Liu Ji, who was usually boastful, was not very willing to mention this matter this time.
The others couldn't care so much. The people they remembered the most, apart from the young master Fusu who left a virtuous reputation among the people, were the three generals who patrolled the streets with meritorious services.
Among them, Heifu, who was born in Guizhou Province, is the most respected by those in Guizhou Province...
Xiao He is very good at analysis, and the answers he gave are exactly the same.
Cao Shen raised his hand and said: "It is this general Wei. It is said that he is the most trusted minister by the emperor. Now he has been appointed as the governor of Jiaodong County. He is going to take up the post with great ambition!"
…
"When I went to Jiaodong County from Xianyang to take up my post, I had to pass through Sanchuan, then go to Dongjun, Jibei, Linzi, and all the way to Jimo. Why did the Jiaodong Governor choose the distance from me and pass by Peixian County?"
At noon, the magistrate of Peixian County was waiting with officials of all sizes at the south gate of Peixian County, but Cao Shen was still puzzled.
After Xiao He calculated in his mind, he whispered: "I heard that this county guard is from Nanjun. He should have returned home and came from Chenjun or Jiujiang County, so he entered through the south gate. Furthermore, he came back from Chenjun or Jiujiang County.
, he will only stay for one day, and will go north to Xue County tomorrow. It seems that time is running out..."
This is in line with common sense. Cao Shen nodded and admired Xiao He's meticulousness. No wonder he was trusted by the county magistrate.
Xiao He started as the county magistrate's secretary "Wen Wuhai" and was good at writing, law and official affairs. He not only knew the situation of Sishui County and Pei County well, but also had some knowledge of other counties.
He knew that Jiaodong County was one of the four counties separated from the Qi Kingdom. It was bounded by the sea to the east and north, bordered by Langya in the south and connected to Linzi in the west. Although it was the easternmost county in the empire, it had a large population of more than 100,000.
The household has a population of seven to eight hundred thousand! Although it is not as good as Linzi, which is guarded by General Wang Ben, it is still a large county, with a population three times that of Beidi County!
The economy of Jiaodong is also good. It is rich in mountains and seas, and is rich in salt and iron. It is the main producing area of sea salt and fish in the Central Plains. However, I heard that pirates and thieves have been breeding along the coast recently, which has caused a lot of trouble. And the local powerful family is powerful. Xiao He is in Pei
County, I also heard a little about it.
"That's why the imperial court sent a decisive and powerful official to govern..." Xiao He thought.
There was little news these days. Although Xiao He and others did not know about Heifu's performance in the war between Qin and Chu, they did know some of Heifu's deeds from the corvee who went to serve in Guanzhong. Including that he and Li Xin defeated the Xiongnu and entered the country.
In winter, he "brought warmth" to the soldiers and curfs, and even the rumor that the men were fond of men with beards and beards spread like wildfire, and people talked about it.
In short, in the impression of Xiao He and Cao Shen, this was a capable official and close minister that they could not reach.
While he was thinking about it, the man who was sent to wait at Shiliting came back out of breath: "The County Lord, the Sheriff of Jiaodong County, is approaching the south gate!"
"Stand up straight, stand up straight!" Magistrate Pei quickly asked the officials to tidy up their clothes and prepare drinks to catch the wind and wash away the dust.
Although Jiaodong and Sishui County are separated by hundreds of miles, and the governor of Nawei County cannot come to Peixian County, there is no need to be so flattering, but Heifu is the emperor's favorite minister, and maybe a word can change the county-level officials.
Pei Ling did not dare not to please his fate.
Not long after, dozens of knights appeared on the road, all riding Hexi horses. Although they were wearing commoners, just by looking at the swords hanging on their waists and the crossbows on their backs, you could tell that they were from the military.
With a high-spirited look, he was probably a retainer of the Jiaodong County Sheriff.
The knights rushed to the city gate and left in separate groups, revealing the fleet behind them. Some were carrying books or attaches. The largest car among them had a black cover and the barriers on both sides were painted red. This was compared to two thousand and two.
The exclusive car for Qianshi, under the canopy, is a black-faced official wearing black clothes and a crown...
"All the officials in Peixian County have seen Shaoshangzao!"
The magistrate Pei, the prime minister, and the lieutenant immediately came over and bowed to him, but the Jiaodong county magistrate only slightly bowed his hand.
After the car stopped for a while, he continued to drive into the city under the guidance of Magistrate Pei. However, Heifu's eyes glanced at the officials of Pei County beside the road. He even inadvertently landed on the one standing closest to the front of the officials.
Xiao He only glanced at Xiao He, smiled again, and continued to chat with Magistrate Pei, who was honored to be able to board the train.
Xiao He, Cao Shen and other Cao Baishi officials lined up on both sides, bowed and saluted. After the carriage and horse passed by, Cao Shen raised his head and said in surprise: "You are so young, and you are made for a young master, and you are worth two thousand stones!?"
If he read correctly, the county governor was only around thirty, and he felt a little ashamed when he was stroking his large beard.
It would be fine if he was the second generation of Grandfather Yin, but this County Sheriff actually climbed up from the head of Guizhou step by step. How did he do it? Cao Shen recalled that he was between 20 and 30 years old.
During those years, he was still living in a muddle, practicing martial arts or writing, and he was doing well, but he accomplished nothing. After Qin destroyed Chu, although he became a Cao official and was respectfully called "Cao prisoner" by the county people, he still failed to achieve anything.
Compared with the Jiaodong County Sheriff, he is nothing.
Xiao He was silent for a moment, then said softly: "As poor as this time, there are people like this, but there are no other people in this world, even though they are virtuous and ungrateful. How can it be so difficult to live in this world? In my opinion, the governor of Wei County is very young.
Such an achievement is not only due to his outstanding talent, but also because he met the Master of Ming at the right time. But as for meeting or not meeting him, God, how can we compare with him?"
This was Huang Lao's point of view. Xiao He came from a well-off family and had learned a lot. Cao Shen nodded, seeming to understand. At this time, a Wei accent sounded behind him.
"How long has it been since we were poor? This county official said it right."
When the two of them turned around, they saw a handsome young scholar wearing commoner clothes and a turban on his head.
The scholar followed Xiao He's words and said: "Lu Wang was Zang Jijin. When he was seventy years old, he slaughtered an ox in Chao Ge and was honored as the emperor's teacher. When he met Zhou Wenye, he was in charge of the barbarians and I was restrained by the corvee. He released the weapon and became the prime minister of the princes.
Meet Huan of Qi. Baili Xi feeds five sheep, herds cattle for the uncle, releases the cattle and becomes a court official, meets Mu of Qin. Sun Shuao goes to the salt brine land on the seaside, comes out to be the commander, and meets Chuzhuang..."
"It is indeed the right time and opportunity for Junjun to be where he is today!"
He seemed to be talking about Heifu, but also seemed to be talking about himself...
This man came with the Jiaodong County Sheriff's vehicle, but got off the bus at the city gate. He planned to visit Peixian County by himself, but happened to be walking to the side and heard Xiao He's words.
Xiao He and Cao Shen did not dare to neglect him and raised their hands to him: "May I ask who you are, sir?"
The scholar raised his sleeve and said, "I am Chen Ping. I am the gatekeeper of Wei County. I am disturbing your land. I am being polite here!"
After saying this, he raised his head again, with a harmless smile on his handsome face: "What the county official said just now was what Huang Lao said, right? It's a coincidence, Huang Lao is the best!"
