"Master Assistant! What do you mean by this stall owner? He is so secretive and refuses to sell us noodles, and he refuses to tell us why?
Really irritating! "
"That's right! That's right! That's right! It's not like we won't pay you, so why don't we sell it to men?"
"That's right! We didn't bully him, and we don't have any grudge against him. Why should we target him?"
After sitting down, several officials were still complaining angrily.
Zhou Lin, however, was alone and silently frowning in thought. After a while, he raised his hand to stop everyone's conversation.
Zhou Lin raised his head and said with a solemn expression: "Everyone, the real test is coming!"
Just now, after some thought, based on all the information the stall owner said and his reaction, I figured out the purpose of waiting for someone to come over.
Zhou Lin finally figured out the truth of the matter!
There is only one answer to all this!
It should be the Zhao family who takes action!
Only the Zhao family, as the local snakes of Bian'an, could let even a small stall owner setting up a stall next to the official road know the news of their arrival.
Only the Zhao family has the ability to restrict people in Bian'an County from doing business with them.
Zhou Lin guessed that the Zhao family was afraid that they had given some orders to these people. If they traded with them, these people would be retaliated and punished by the Zhao family.
Only with the Zhao family's status in Bian'an and the intimidation power accumulated over the years can they scare even the roadside stall owners from doing business with them.
There is no doubt that the Zhao family is behind this.
The Zhao family knew that they were coming, and unlike other officials who came to Bian'an, they first went to the Zhao family to visit the dock.
So I specially gave myself a show of confidence and a meeting gift!
The officials asked you to look at me, and I looked at you, but I didn't understand what Zhou Lin meant.
Zhou Lin had no choice but to inform them of the Zhao family's status in Bian'an County, the orders he and the others might issue, and the situation he and others would face next.
After listening to Zhou Lin's analysis, several officials opened their eyes in disbelief.
They who have been working in the capital had never seen such a thing before. They were an imperial team sent by the imperial court!
The Zhao family, a local force, even if it is a noble family, dares to go against the imperial court.
Are they tired of living a crooked life?
Everyone in the other surrounding teams also heard their conversation.
At this moment, they had almost the same expression as several officials, all of whom couldn't believe it.
Zhou Lin solemnly confirmed the authenticity of the matter, and everyone was convinced.
But being convinced, this also means that they may really have to face the situation that Zhou Shilang just said.
On their next journey, I'm afraid they won't be able to buy anything in Bian'an County even if they have money, and no one will have the guts to make a deal with them.
They could no longer replenish any supplies in the cities along the way, and could only watch as they rushed to their destination with the things they carried now.
"Your Majesty, Sir, on this journey, won't we not even have a place to rest?"
An officer said with a sad face.
Zhou Lin nodded: "I'm afraid I'll have to sleep in the wilderness next. The imperial court has made you suffer."
The officials waved their hands repeatedly: "What did you say, sir? We are eating food from the imperial court, and it is nothing to suffer a little while running around for the imperial court.
only……"
"Just what?" Zhou Lin asked.
The official who just spoke looked at the front of the official road and sighed: "It's just that if we can no longer conduct transactions in Bian'an County, how will we carry out work and strengthen the river embankment when we arrive at the station?
According to what Mr. Zhou just said, the Zhao family is like a local bully in Bian'an County.
Will such a family allow us to recruit local people to build dikes? "
“If you can’t recruit people, let the local government issue corvees!
A living person can't be choked to death by urinating! "
Another official said immediately.
Zhou Lin frowned. The official's concerns at the beginning were not unreasonable.
The current situation is just an appetizer. As long as I and others don't surrender to the Zhao family, the Zhao family will continue to make small moves behind their backs.
But he was an imperial envoy of the imperial court, which meant how could the imperial court surrender to the Zhang family.
Besides, given the appetite of the Zhao family, if I surrender to the Zhao family, then most of the money, food and materials allocated by the court to repair and strengthen the river embankment will have to be handed over. What should I do with the river embankment?
At that time, the remaining three melons and two dates may not even be enough to feed the peasants!
The two sides have irreconcilable conflicts of interest and it is impossible to give in to the other side.
The rest of the trip was just as Zhou Lin had guessed. Everyone was moving forward, and the villages and towns they passed were like seeing ghosts. Everyone hid when they saw them, let alone having any contact with them. Transacted.
Fortunately, they brought enough food, but dry food was just dry food after all. It could only satisfy the hunger, but it could not satisfy the appetite.
After a period of time, everyone's faces didn't look very good after eating dry food every day.
Fortunately, after these days of traveling, they were not far from the station on the north bank of the Bianhe River in Bian'an County.
At most, they can arrive at the station early tomorrow morning.
At this time, Li Dingguo and others stationed at the point finally received information that they were about to arrive.
In the military tent, Li Dingguo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the news from Tan Ma.
After waiting for so long, the Zuo Shilang is finally here.
But then he remembered the information passed by the secret guards. The Zhao family issued an order in the entire Bian'an County not to allow anyone to trade with them, but Li Dingguo frowned.
However, he did not hesitate for too long. After all, this was a matter for the imperial court. The order he received was to assist the imperial court in protecting the people sent by the imperial court to build and strengthen the river embankments.
How to solve this matter was not within the scope of his responsibilities, so Li Dingguo soon put the matter behind him.
A night of silence.
In the early morning of the next day, as the red sun rose in the sky, Zhou Lin and his party finally slowly appeared on the horizon on the official road outside the station.
Seeing the sergeants stationed in the distance, not only Zhou Lin, but also the other officers finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally arrived!
They didn't dare to stop for even a moment along the way. The supplies in their hands were limited and they couldn't be replenished. If they delayed for a long time, they would probably go on the road hungry.
It would be really ridiculous if the imperial envoy team sent by the imperial court went on the road hungry!
…
Li Dingguo had just finished breakfast when he received a report from his men that the people sent by the imperial court to build the river embankment had arrived. They were the Minister of Works and the Minister of Zuo.
Li Dingguo didn't waste any time and immediately led the people out of the camp after receiving the news.
When they arrived at the entrance of the camp, they saw that the leader Zhou Lin and his party had already changed into official uniforms. Li Dingguo immediately smiled and greeted them with a laugh:
"Hahaha! The wait is finally here, Minister Zhou, you are finally here. I have been waiting here for a long time, and you are finally here!"
From Zhou Lin's simple camp, a heroic young man wearing black armor and a red cloak strode forward. When he heard the words in his mouth, he immediately judged that this person should be the commander of the Japanese army. Li Dingguo is already famous among the officials in the imperial court and is called the family executioner!
Then he also showed a smile, cupped his hands in the distance and said: "I was delayed on the road, late for a long time, General Lao is waiting, but I was wrong, please forgive me, General!"
While talking, Li Dingguo had already arrived in front of Zhou Lin and his party, waved his hand, and the soldiers guarding the camp immediately moved out of the way. Li Dingguo pulled Zhou Lin in and laughed while saying:
"It's okay, it's okay. Just come. Shilang Zhou will quickly follow me in. I will immediately ask the brothers to settle you down. I'm afraid you are all exhausted after walking for many days. Take a good rest first. Okay, let’s talk about the court affairs again.”
"In this case, General Lao will be available!"
Zhou Lin was indeed a little tired, as were all the officials, so he did not refuse and was led by Li Dingguo, and everyone entered the military camp one after another.
…
(End of chapter)
