Han Du took the lead and headed towards Xi'an with Shanziying. The army rolled up smoke and dust all over the sky and marched unimpeded. Anyone who saw it would stand under the road in advance to avoid it.
After the army passed by, the people pointed at the billowing smoke.
"What's going on here?"
"I don't know, maybe there's going to be another war somewhere..."
"There is nothing wrong with fighting. If the imperial court had not favored the Meng Yuan people, then maybe Meng Yuan would have sent his troops south..."
"This is reasonable. Anyway, as long as the court does not increase taxes, we can fight this battle however we like..."
"Hey, don't talk about it. I was reminded by this old man that the imperial court has fought a lot of wars in the past few years, and it has never raised taxes once. Do you think it's strange?"
Some people nodded in agreement, while others seemed to have discerned the secret of heaven. They raised their heads with pretense and said disdainfully: "What's so strange about this? After all, the Holy Emperor is in court!"
Han Du's trip was naturally not to fight, but to go to Xi'an to deal with the aftermath on Lao Zhu's order. To put it bluntly, it means wiping King Qin’s butt.
Zhu Ping is still confined in the palace. Whether he can come out depends on how Han Du handles the matter this time.
Fortunately, Lao Zhu, who has always been stingy, didn't need Han Du to pay a penny this time for his son's hemorrhage.
Since he didn't bleed, Han Du still had no objection to taking such a trip.
As soon as they entered the territory of Shaanxi, people gradually left Shanziying.
Before that, Han Du found all the people from Shaanxi in Shanziying and got official letters from the Ministry of War, asking them to disarm and return to their hometowns to serve as district chiefs and grain chiefs. This was something that Han Du had reported to Lao Zhu early in the morning, and it was only now that he had the chance to implement it.
Moreover, in order to prevent accidents, Han Du arranged for two people to follow them. The soldiers of the three mountain camps, and the bandits who usually number thirty or forty people armed with firearms, were no match for them.
"Remember, after you go back, you must pay attention to all kinds of illegal things done by local officials. If you find anything, you must report it immediately. Of course, the most important thing after you go back now is to first inquire about the King of Qin's plundering of people's wealth and see what kind of things are there. People’s fields have been occupied and their children have been sold. Whose hands does the field belong to now? Where have their children been sold to..."
"Yes, Lord Marquis, the young ones have all remembered it."
A group of big and powerful people stood in front of Han Du, listening to his lectures. Each of these people has dark skin and ridges on their faces. They look no different from farmers who face the loess and back to the sky, but they can all read and write. Moreover, Han Du also specially taught them a way to write cipher text, so that they would have no problem delivering the message.
After casually sending the people away, Han Du continued to move forward.
Shiquan County.
Three weirdos came to the county today. Their clothes were very different from those of ordinary people, but despite being weird, they gave people a simple and capable feeling. There is a cloth belt wrapped around his waist, a cowhide box is pinned to it, and a round iron shield is carried on his back.
Other people couldn't understand it, but the bright and dazzling iron shields carried by the three people were crisscrossed with long and short gaps, and some even showed streaks of dark red and black.
It was obviously just a few scratches, but it revealed a deep cold aura, which made people intimidated. They didn't dare to step forward at all, so they could only stand from a distance and point at the three of them.
The three of them had long been accustomed to this kind of guidance from the people, and they walked towards the county government office calmly.
"Stop, who is here? This is the Shiquan County government office. How can we allow you to break in without permission?" The two government officials on the left and right immediately strode forward and pulled out half of their sabers to stop the three of them.
Facing the sword that was so close at hand, the three of them didn't even take a second look.
The Yamen servant's menacing and ferocious appearance could scare ordinary people, but it had no effect on the three of them. Compared with the ferocity of the Yamen servants and the Meng Yuan cavalry, they were like extremely well-behaved babies. And the three of them were able to kill the Meng Yuan cavalry to pieces, how could a few government officials be able to scare them away?
The two government officials also noticed that the people who came were not simple. Although the clothes of the three people were not gorgeous, and the fabric was only cotton. But the cold light in the eyes of the three of them was enough to make the blood of the two government officials freeze into ice.
The three of them were stopped by the Yamen servant and stopped moving.
But the two government officials each secretly swallowed their saliva, couldn't help but shrink their legs back, and asked in a trembling voice: "You...what do you want to do?"
The leader forced a smile on his face and cupped his hands. It's okay that he doesn't smile. When he smiles, a scar on his face is like a centipede lying on his face. It becomes ferocious and vivid, making people feel chilled when they see it.
"Two officials, I'm very polite. According to the order of the imperial court, I have an official letter that needs to be submitted to the county magistrate." After saying that, he took out an official letter from his arms and held it in his hand. Please ask two government officials to take a look at the front.
The two of them saw that the visitor spoke kindly, and the coldness in their hearts subsided a little. After taking a closer look and seeing that the official letter in this person's hand did not look like a forgery, they politely replied: "You guys wait here, I'll let you know."
"Thank you, sir." The leader bowed his hands again and thanked the two government officials.
The two of them stayed there and stared for three days, then turned around and hurried towards the county government office.
In the back hall of the county government office, the county magistrate was flirting with his concubine. The two of them were having a great time with these plates of pastries and fruit, one feeding and the other eating.
The yamen servant walked into the back hall and happened to encounter this scene. He jumped back as if he had been burned. After waiting in fear for a moment, they saw that the county magistrate and the two men did not notice his arrival. Then he cleared his throat and shouted carefully: "My lord, my lord..."
The county magistrate was in high spirits, so he was naturally very impatient to be interrupted. Especially the glimpse of the concubine's seductive little mouth, the twist of her body nestled in the magistrate's arms, and the unhappiness on her face made the magistrate very angry.
He stretched out his hand to rub the concubine, smiled and comforted her a few times, and raised his hand to signal her to step away first.
After the concubine reluctantly left, the county magistrate's face suddenly darkened. He wanted to see who dared to seek death and disturb him at this time.
"Who is it? Come in here!"
The yamen servant was so frightened by the county magistrate's words that when he crossed the threshold, he actually tripped and rolled around on the ground.
The yamen servant turned over and saw the county prince's eyes that wanted to kill him. He didn't even care about the pain on his body and replied in a daze: "My lord...the imperial court, there is an official letter from the imperial court."
Fortunately, this yamen servant was quick-thinking and used the imperial court as a shield.
Sure enough, when he heard that it was someone from the imperial court, the county magistrate didn't want to get angry with the Yamen servant anymore. He adjusted his official uniform a few times, straightened his official hat, and asked, "Is it someone from the government?"
While asking questions, he walked past the yamen servant and headed straight out the door.
"No, they are from the imperial court, the Ministry of War." The Yamen servant answered the county magistrate cautiously and pointed his finger to the sky.
"Oh?" The county magistrate paused and looked back at the Yamen officer strangely.
After pondering for a few breaths, he immediately made a decision and said: "Quick, go and invite people in. I will be here shortly."
When the county magistrate saw the three people, he wanted to kick the yamen servant to death. His eyes were like daggers scratching the yamen officer's face, as if he was asking, "How dare you tell me that these three guys are from the Ministry of War?" '
But now that everyone is in front of him, the county magistrate has to ask: "I heard... you three are here under the order of the Ministry of War, are you not pretending?"
The county magistrate sat in the hall, raised his chin and leaned back on the chair, holding the gavel in his hand. His suspicious eyes kept going back and forth between the three of them, trying to find out their flaws.
The leader bowed and immediately took out the official letter from his arms and presented it with both hands: "Your Excellency, please take a look."
The magistrate signaled the master to go up and pick up the things.
After taking it and taking a look, a look of surprise flashed across the magistrate's face. He did not expect that this thing was real. The seal is stamped with the large seal of the Ministry of War.
He tore it open casually, took out the documents inside, and unfolded them to take a look. After a moment, he couldn't help but look up at the leader, shook his head and said with a doubtful look: "The Ministry of War actually gave you an order, and it was just for a grain chief. This is too ridiculous."
After saying that, he raised his head and stared at the three of them without blinking. His eyes kept scanning back and forth on Sanri's face, trying to get some clues.
The leader met the county magistrate's gaze without fear and said calmly: "I can understand that adults have doubts, but the seal of the Ministry of War can't be fake, right?"
The county magistrate chuckled twice... It is because this seal is real that I can talk to you here calmly, otherwise, you and the others would have been arrested long ago.
The county magistrate didn't think anyone dared to fake the seal of the Ministry of War, so he nodded in approval: "Okay, but..."
He deliberately prolonged his tone and raised his eyes to look at the leader.
The leader stood there with a calm expression, as if he didn't care about the magistrate's words.
Seeing that this person was not fooled, the county magistrate could only sigh on purpose, glanced at him and said, "However, this matter is a bit difficult to handle now. Now the county's grain chiefs are all full, and there is no vacancy. Why don't you wait a little longer?" When there is a vacancy, will your subordinate immediately appoint you as the head of grain?"
The leader showed a smile little by little, and said in a tone that was no longer friendly: "Do you think that the villain is a commoner who has never seen the market? The villain joined the army at the age of eighteen and has been in the army for twenty-eight years. Is there any place in the world that I haven’t been to, and who hasn’t been seen?”
Although the county magistrate said that if there is a vacancy, he will fill it for this person, but this grain chief is basically a fat errand in the county. No matter who gets the job, he would like to work for the rest of his life. Even after finishing the quilt myself, I still want to pass on the position of grain chief to my descendants. Who would be stupid enough to make room for someone else?
If this person had agreed to the county magistrate just now, he would have been manipulated by the county magistrate. Wait... there won't be any vacancies for the grain manager until the end of time.
The county magistrate was sitting in the hall quietly watching him show off, but these words alone could not scare him.
"My lord said that there is no vacancy for the grain chief in the county, so I dare to ask your lord, who appointed these grain chiefs?" The leader leaned towards the direction where the county magistrate was sitting, and said with a hint.
When the county magistrate heard that this person meant to accuse himself, he couldn't help but frown and suddenly became unhappy. He lowered his face and said with a sneer: "Of course he was appointed by me. This is the power of this county. What's wrong with it?"
"Of course there is something wrong." Seeing this, the leader was no longer polite.
He raised his hand and pointed at the official letter on the county magistrate's desk and said: "My lord, it doesn't matter if you appoint other grain chiefs, but the younger one must be the grain chief of his hometown. Sir, you must see clearly, the grain chief of the younger one is the director of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel." If they are appointed at the same time, can your orders be more powerful than those of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel? You should leave your official credentials to the villain."
The county magistrate has the final say in appointing low-level officials like the grain chief. However, the court did not explicitly stipulate this, it was just an unspoken rule that everyone knew.
But it's different now. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel give direct orders, so the county magistrate's orders naturally have to be avoided.
At this time, everyone in the hall didn't know what kind of expressions and words to use in response.
The county magistrate smiled awkwardly. He wanted to agree to this person, but he felt very embarrassed. Because he discovered that the grain chief of this man's hometown was the one who gave his daughter to him as a concubine half a year ago. Thinking of the feeling of my concubine's warm and fragrant soft jade waist struggling in his arms, my heart couldn't help but tremble. If the concubine's father is driven away like this, then why doesn't she start a fight with me?
"Grain chief...there is still a vacancy, but it's not in your hometown, but in Linshui. I wonder if you are willing to go somewhere? You said it yourself, and you haven't been back for many years. There are not many people at home, so being a grain manager is still the same?"
"I disappoint you. Although I don't know if there is anyone at home, I remember everything about my hometown so vividly that I want to go back. If it's somewhere else, please forgive me for not being able to follow my orders." Under the agreement, the leader naturally wants to return to his hometown.
What is the status of a county magistrate? He is the local emperor in this county. Otherwise, how could people elegantly call the county magistrate Bailihou? All matters in the county are decided by the county magistrate.
Not to mention that this man is just a vulgar soldier now, even if he becomes the chief of grain, he will still be controlled by the county magistrate and have to listen to him. In the opinion of the county magistrate, as long as the person is a little smart, he can understand what he means. But he never expected that this person would directly contradict his words.
Who gave him the courage to be so unscrupulous? If he is not punished, won't this person regard him as the county magistrate even less in the future? Moreover, there are a lot of people around, including the master, the county magistrate, and the government officials. If he lets this person go easily, then where is the majesty of his parents and officials?
The county magistrate immediately slapped the gavel in his hand and shouted: "You are a bold and unruly man. You dare to try to deceive me. If someone comes, you will be punished."
After receiving the order, the officials on the left and right rushed forward with swords in their hands and took the three of them into custody.
The leader raised his hand and said calmly: "Wait a minute! Sir, is the villain's document fake?"
The county magistrate sneered a few times, sighing secretly that these mud-legged people were still too young, thinking that with a piece of paper, he, the magistrate, could not do anything to them. He raised his hand to play with the black and hard gavel in his hand. He smacked the edges a little and said in a stern voice: "Of course the document is true, but why do you say that this document is yours? I also suspect that you are gangsters." , robbed and killed the real owner of the document, trying to deceive me."
In fact, the county magistrate also knew that his reason was unjustifiable, because if he was really an imposter, then this person should agree with his proposal instead of opposing it without hesitation.
But so what if it’s true, so what if it’s fake?
What old bureaucrats like county magistrates are best at is turning the truth into falsehood and the falsehood into truth.
The leader glanced around and saw that everyone was still silent even though they knew it well. Not only did he fail to expose the lie of the county magistrate, he even looked at himself with hostility. He raised his head and chest and smiled: "Sir, you don't think that a villain has no roots and no skin, so you can knead it as you like, right?"
The yamen servants who were walking towards the three people without stopping could not help but pause at the same time when they heard this, as if being held down by an invisible force.
The county magistrate also felt a slight thump in his heart. Faced with the gazes of all the government officials, he signaled them to stay put for the time being.
Without waiting for the county magistrate to ask, the leader raised his head and said loudly: "We are under the command of the Marquis of Zhenhai, and the Marquis is in Xi'an now. Your Majesty thinks that the villain is a fake, so why not go to Xi'an with the villain to find the Marquis?" Confront me?"
Hearing what this person said, the county magistrate suddenly forced a smile and said: "Hahaha, I'm serious, I'm serious. The Marquis of Zhenhai is taking care of everything, how can I come to disturb you? Your surname is Zhao, brother Zhao Xian, right? ? Oh, this officer was just doing a routine thing. Brother Zhao Xian should know that today's gangsters are doing all kinds of evil, so I am just doing a test just in case, just in case."
Originally, the county magistrate had never doubted the authenticity of this person. The reason why he deliberately framed him was just to take advantage of him. Now that he heard that this person had moved the Marquis of Zhenhai out, the county magistrate naturally did not dare to try to fool him anymore.
This is not the last straw that breaks the camel's back, this is the mountain that can crush the camel into powder.
He was a small seventh-grade county magistrate, and the Marquis of Zhenhai could kill him without even using his fingers. If he showed his displeasure at will, countless people from the Chief Envoy of Shaanxi Province would jump out and kill him in order to claim credit from the Marquis of Zhenhai.
How dare he, a county magistrate, offend the Marquis of Zhenhai? He didn't even dare to offend the warrior in front of him now. As for what to do with the concubine’s father... Haha, this is not his father... Let him go to the water, do it if he wants to, and get out if he doesn’t want to!
"Your Majesty, you're too polite. I'm just eager to return home after not having it for many years. What I just said was a bit harsh, so please ignore my fault." The leader also knows how to be diplomatic and sophisticated, so he knows that the county magistrate is not afraid. He didn't want to offend the Marquis of Zhenhai behind him, so he lowered his attitude towards him like this. He also happened to get off the donkey along the slope and gave the county magistrate face.
