Su Ruyu was already in a bad mood, otherwise she wouldn't have come here to drink and soothe her sorrows, but the old man kept talking about corruption and bribery.
But this is nothing. If he pretends to hate corrupt officials like Su Ruyu, Su Ruyu might even give him two side dishes when he is happy, but if he insists on saying that he is not an official who is greedy for money, he is not
The fallacy of being a good official made Su Ruyu very angry.
He suddenly raised his head, then reached out and snatched the chicken leg from the old man's hand.
"When you eat, you eat! When you drink, you drink! When you listen to stories, you listen to stories. Why are you interrupting? If I had known that you were such a virtuous person, I should have thrown these chicken legs out and fed them to the dogs!"
After Su Ruyu finished speaking, she pretended to throw the half-eaten chicken leg in his hand out of the window. His move frightened the old man, and he quickly stood up to stop him.
"Hey...! Stop it, stop it! The mouse knows how to save three cents of grain. Why don't you know how to save? Every grain of grain is bought from the fields with the sweat of the farmers. You are still a reading sage.
People, don’t you understand such a simple truth?”
After Su Ruyu heard the old man's words, she stopped throwing the chicken legs in embarrassment.
"I...I am angry with you. Why do you say that officials who are not greedy for money are not good officials? If you don't explain it clearly to me, I will bring these chicken legs and a table full of good wine and food."
Go back and let Su Mo eat!"
"Hey... don't be anxious, don't be anxious!"
Hearing that Ergou wanted to pack these dishes away, the old man didn't want to agree. Let's not say who the man named Su Mo was. Anyway, he would not be considered a good person if he competed with him for food.
But I don't know what Su Mo's expression will be like when he finds out that his young master is going to reward him with a chicken leg that an old man has chewed, but he is probably going to cry.
"Boy, don't say that I eat and drink your stuff for free. Today I will teach you some principles outside the book, which are much more important than those in the book."
Without the chicken legs, the old man didn't forget that there were other foods on the table, so he secretly picked up a piece of fat and thin roasted white meat and put it into his mouth, and then spoke vaguely.
"Generally speaking, those officials who are not greedy for money are nerds who regard the words of ancient saints as their own rules. It depends on you!"
Without giving Su Ruyu a chance to refute, the old man continued talking before he spoke.
"The reason why I say that officials who are not greedy for money are not good officials is because at most they can be regarded as honest officials. Let me ask you, if you put aside the issue of corruption and bribery, is County Prime Minister Shi Linwu considered a good official?"
Su Ruyu fell into deep thought after hearing this, while the old man took the opportunity to pour himself another cup of Bamboo Leaf Green.
"Calculate!"
"Um...cough...cough!"
But when the old man was halfway through drinking, Ergou suddenly spoke, which made the unprepared old man spit out all the wine in his throat, but he still hurriedly retrieved a few drops and threw them into his mouth.
While scratching at the air and corners of his mouth, he kept mumbling.
"What a pity, what a pity! Alas!"
After all the drinks had flowed to the floor and were irretrievably stained on the table, the old man sighed and stopped what he was doing, and then glanced at Su Ruyu.
"Hey, boy! Then let me ask you another question. Do you think that in the years of famine, when people in the whole county are about to starve to death, there is someone who is extremely honest and can accompany the people in the county to starve to death in the granary?
How about an upright official here? It would be better to have a corrupt official who, although he takes bribes, can try every means to find food for the victims!"
The old man's question once again troubled Su Ruyu. He originally wanted to say that it is better to be an honest official, but it only cost the lives of a county to buy one person's reputation for integrity.
For no reason, Su Ruyu suddenly grabbed the wine glass on the table and drank a large mouthful of Bamboo Leaf Green. The spicy taste suddenly made his face red, and he kept coughing.
"Cough...greedy...cough...corrupt officials are good!"
"Hey! That's right! There's no reason for officials in this world not to put money in their pockets! There are all kinds of people in this world, but if there are no people who don't think they have enough money, who would follow?
Why can’t the money go through?”
"But in the book..."
Su Ruyu was still a little unconvinced, and wanted to refute this old guy who said some crooked truths, but was interrupted by the old man who had quietly taken back the chicken legs at some point.
"In the bullshit book
!I don’t believe that those guys who can make moral remarks can really calm down and calmly reason with others after being scolded! If this is the case, then he is not a human being."
In Su Ruyu's eyes at this moment, this old man was just a country boy who had only studied for a few days and didn't know what he meant.
"What do you know? The saints have already spoken. The situation you mentioned is just because those people have not been educated. As long as we use the teachings of the sages to influence them, they will definitely be able to turn back from their lost ways!"
The old man threw the finished chicken leg bones on the table and sucked his black and numb fingers.
"Are you sure they can understand what you are saying?"
"You...you are such a strange old man. Listening to what you say, sometimes I feel like a well-educated man with a college education, but sometimes I feel that you are really a country man with vulgar vision!"
The old man narrowed his eyes and glanced sideways at Su Ruyu.
"What is your... relationship with Su Wang?"
Ergou was not surprised by the old man's words. People in the county had long known that he was from the capital. In addition, his surname was Su, so naturally some people guessed who he and the powerful Prime Minister Su were.
It’s related.
But most people only dare to guess that Su Ruyu is Su Wang's nephew from afar, but those who are closer don't dare to think so. The main reason is that no one will believe you if you tell others that the prime minister's son has come to be the county magistrate!
"He's my dad!"
Originally, Su Ruyu thought that his calm words could scare the old man, but in fact, he was frightened by the old man. The old man had an uncharacteristically calm face, so calm that there was no wave in his eyes.
"Then this isn't right. Since you are the son of that old fox Su Wang, why haven't you learned even half of his official skills? Tell me, what does your father think of you?"
"You know my dad?"
For the first time, Su Ruyu became curious about the identity of this old man.
"Boy, that's not very kind of you! I asked the old man the question first, and you answer it first. But don't lie to me. I know your father better than you do. Did you lie to me?
, I can tell it as soon as I hear it.”
Su Ruyu was now in a dilemma again. His father's evaluation of him was really difficult to express, but he really wanted to know the true identity of this old man, so he had to bite the bullet and speak up.
"My father said that the knowledge in my belly is like half a pot of water ringing the bell, and I also have the problem of being too ambitious and too weak to do anything."
"Hahaha! That's right. There is still nothing wrong with this old ghost Su's eyesight. He is as vicious as ever."
Seeing the old man laughing wildly, Su Ruyu became a little unhappy.
"Now it's your turn to tell me who you really are!"
"Who am I? If your father and Lu Xiangrui hadn't helped the Chu family seize the country, I would still be sitting in your father's position now!"
Speaking of the identity of this old man, he is much more powerful than Su Ruyu, the son of the Prime Minister’s Mansion. The old man is none other than Zhu Wenran, the last Prime Minister of the previous dynasty!
"You...you are!"
"Shh! You said it, it's all over."
Su Ruyu nodded indifferently. He really didn't expect that the dignified former prime minister would live in seclusion here. The old man looked at his surprised look, and after feeling a little proud, he said with some emotion.
"You guys may not know how powerful your father and Lu Xiangrui are. Strictly speaking, they are much more powerful than Chen Mu and I. In fact, Dachu Guozha was not dead at that time. According to
According to Chen Mu and I's calculations, the Great Zhao Kingdom should have another fifty years of national destiny, so Chen Mu and I wanted to turn the tide at the critical moment, but Su Wang and Lu Xiangrui took it from me and Chen Mu.
After fifty years of service, even as an opponent, I have to say that your father is one of the few people I admire."
The previous words of the former Prime Minister made Su Ruyu feel more comfortable, but the last words could make a person angry to death.
"But your father is so awesome, why did he give birth to a son like you?"
Su Ruyu said to Zhu Wenran with a dark face.
"Old man, don't think that I won't dare to beat you now that I know your identity. If you dare to speak ill of me in front of me again, I'll beat you all the same!"
"Yo ho!"
In fact, it can be heard from Zhu Wenran's tone that he is actually a master who refuses to admit defeat. Now
Su Ruyu, a junior, didn't even give him face, so naturally he was unhappy with Su Ruyu.
He suddenly threw a chicken bone on the table, rolled up his sleeves, slapped the table and shouted at Su Ruyu.
"You can do it, you are better than your father! Back then, your father was beaten by me. I am still afraid of a bastard like you today. I tell you clearly, even if I beat you today
Damn it! Your father will have to treat me to a drink after we wait in the capital!"
"Just brag. In my opinion, all the cows in other people's fields have been blown to death by you!"
Zhu Wenran rolled his eyes like an old naughty boy, and then said to Su Ruyu in a tone full of bewitching.
"Boy, don't be ignorant. Do you know why your father threw you to Taopu County? It's because he knew I was here! He wanted me to train you well and not say anything about managing the world and benefiting the people.
But when it comes to being an official, I think I am the best in the world, so no one dares to say that I am the second in the world. When the Zhao Kingdom fell, none of the officials in the Manchu Dynasty escaped because of my support.
!Your father just knew that you were lacking in this area, so he threw you to me!"
Su Ruyu still doesn't believe this guy, but what he said is true. If it weren't for him, the former Prime Minister of the country, in Taopu County, why would his father throw him into this inhospitable place?
Woolen cloth?
"Old man, don't think you can lie to me because I'm young. If I find out the clues, the consequences will be serious!"
"Don't worry, what good can the old man do by lying to you? If I hadn't guessed your identity, I would have come to your place to cheat you with food and drink? In this county, there are so many people who want to treat me to dinner. You
Look, I’ve talked to them before!”
Su Ruyu touched her chin and thought for a while.
"Well...don't tell me, it's really possible!"
"Harmful!"
Zhu Wenran saw that Su Ruyu was about to take the bait, so he slapped his thigh hard, making a show of hating iron but not steel.
"How come you kid can't understand? I'm really the kind of person who comes here to eat your food without shame? After all, I am also the former Prime Minister of the country! How can I eat your food for no reason?"
"Okay! Old man, I'll believe you for now. Then tell me how you should be an official!"
Alas! Speaking of which, Su Ruyu was too young to be fooled by Zhu Wenran. When the Zhao Dynasty was still alive, who didn't know that Zhu Wenran was a lifelong widower and a foodie!
It is said that he also had a record at the beginning, that is, he did not cook at his own home for a whole year. Even some fourth- and fifth-rank officials in the capital at that time could not escape his clutches.
But one of his words is true. As an official, he considers himself second in the world, and no one dares to consider him first in the world. Even Shi Linwu, the county magistrate of Taopu County, was trained under his covert and overt guidance.
I have achieved these skills today.
"Then tell me, what should I do now!"
Zhu Wenran pretended to think for a moment.
"The most important thing you should do now is to get back the money you left in the county office!"
"but I…"
"are you going!"
Hearing the irresistibility in Zhu Wenran's tone, Su Ruyu took another big gulp of Bamboo Leaf Green and shouted at him.
"go!"
He walked away immediately, but just as Su Ruyu walked out of the restaurant, an anxious voice came from behind him.
"Hey! Boy from the Su family, you haven't paid the damn bill yet! Why are you running away? Get back here!"
After hearing Zhu Wenran's words, Su Ruyu not only did not turn around and go back, but actually ran faster.
"Smelly old man, I didn't eat anything. It was all yours. You pay the bill yourself!"
…
When Su Ruyu came back to the county government, Shi Linwu and three others had already gathered together, apparently thinking of some countermeasures.
When they saw Su Ruyu returning, the three of them immediately surrounded her.
"Mr. Su, we didn't know the situation just now. I promise you that we will never accept any more money in the future!"
"Hey... stop it, stop it!"
Su Ruyu followed Zhu Wenran's example and interrupted Shi Linwu's words.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm here to get my share of the money I deserve!"