Xu He listened for a while and didn't want to pay attention to it, but the cries and howls of women and children became louder and louder, accompanied by the shouts and curses of several men.
Feng Xiaozhu saw him frowning, so he whispered: "I heard from Uncle Jia's aunt that it was the Zhang family's yard. The male owner of the Zhang family turned out to be an archer in the county government. He died the last time bandits invaded the city. The Zhang family's sister-in-law had a dispute with the county government over her husband's pension. How many times have people from the county government been scolded for giving money?"
When Xu He heard this, he stood up and walked out of the courtyard.
Feng Xiaozhu saw this and shouted quickly: "Brother Xu, where are you going?"
Xu He said without looking back: "I'll go take a look!"
After saying that, he opened the courtyard door and walked out.
When Xu He came outside the courtyard, he saw many neighbors gathered around the entrance of a courtyard not far to the west of Xu's house.
As soon as he reached the outskirts of the crowd, he heard the voice of a man in the courtyard: "Ms. Zhang Wang, the county government saw your husband died in the war and kindly offered you compensation, but you refused several times. What's wrong? Do you think I will give you this money?" Do I have to give it to you? Let me tell you something today: If you don’t accept the money today, then you won’t be able to receive a penny in the future!”
At this time, a woman in the courtyard cried: "Boss Li, my husband left the city to fight against the bandits for the sake of his fellow villagers in Hailing County. Now that he is dead, the county only gives him two taels of silver as a pension." , is one life of my family worth two taels of silver?"
The man sneered and said: "Ms. Zhang, your husband is the county government official. It is his job to defend the city and fight against thieves. What? You still want to take credit and let the court reward you with a thousand sons and eight hundred taels." of?"
The woman went completely crazy when she heard this: "Li Xiaozi, I don't want so much, but you don't want to take away a cent of our pension. You are such evil-minded things, bullying the orphans and widows of our Zhang family, and you have no support from the clan." , other people’s pension is six taels, why does my family only have two taels?”
"Alas!" At this time, an old man next to Xu He sighed: "These black dogs in the yamen really deserve to be killed!"
Xu He bowed his hands and asked the old man: "Old man, what's going on?"
The old man cursed: "What else can happen? These black dogs in the Yamen have violated their conscience!"
It turned out that Wang's husband died in the battle outside the Baoba Laboratory.
According to the old rules of the imperial court, archers and swordsmen who died in the line of duty would receive a one-time pension of 6 taels of silver, and then two dou of rice per month.
During the time when the thieves retreated, the county compiled the list of those who died. In order to take care of these orphans and widowed mothers, Li Zhijie increased the pension to eight taels for each family where someone died in the war!
Moreover, the county government issued a notice and made this matter public.
But just a few days ago, Li Zhijie went to Yangzhou to take up his post, and someone in the county government was eyeing this money.
The originally promised eight taels were distributed to each family, but only six taels were given to each family. As for the Zhang Wang family whose husband died and had no family members to support them, the county simply gave them only 2 taels, not even two buckets of rice per month. Not to mention.
When Xu He heard this, there seemed to be a fire burning in his chest. That day he watched with his own eyes the local brave men from the county government fighting the thieves outside the city.
Yes, these villagers were not brave, and they were obedient and did not dare to step forward during the battle; but compared to the guards soldiers who fled shortly after landing, they had done enough.
After the war that day, Xiangyong was the one who fell to the ground and slept the most. Why? Are they braver than the guardsmen?
no……
Because they know that if they retreat, what will happen to Hailing City and their families behind them?
So even though they have no martial arts skills and may have the cunningness of ordinary people in daily life, at that moment, they are the heroes of Hailing and they are the city of Hailing.
Now, people are dead and [the city] has collapsed, but these petty officials are still going to break the bones and suck out the marrow from their heartbroken family members.
Xu He's face turned red, he was angry, his hands trembled slightly, and it seemed as if there was a fire about to explode in his chest.
At this time, the woman in the courtyard cried: "Li Chaozi, where were you when my husband went out to fight against the bandits? Were you out of the city that day?"
Li Chaozi paused when he heard the words: "I, I was taken by the horse owner Bo to guard against thieves in the city!"
The woman cried and cursed: "Bullshit insiders, you just don't dare to go out of the city. Just let the honest man from my family go out of the city, and let those of us who don't follow you go out and die!"
When the people heard this, they were all angry.
Yes, most of the people here are just ordinary people who are as humble as dust. They have no feet, no background, and even no one in their family has been an official for ten generations.
They are the lowest level of society.
Something happened, and they went out of the city to fight with the thieves.
He died in battle, but when he returned to the city, he had to endure the beatings of these subordinate officials.
So, since they have no background and no clan, they deserve to die?
"Li Xiaozi, you and the eldest brother of the Zhang family were always close friends. Now that he is dead, you can't bully an orphan or a widowed mother!" a young man said angrily.
At this time, a voice hidden in the crowd cursed: "Li Xiaozi, your special mother is Ma Mingqiu's dog!"
"Who, who the hell is scolding me? Stand up if you have the guts!" Suddenly a short, fat black man rushed out of the courtyard gate, with yellow eyeballs almost bulging out from his face that was swollen from alcohol.
When the people saw him leaving the courtyard, they immediately fell silent. No one around him dared to answer. Almost everyone lowered their heads, not daring to look into his ferocious eyes.
"Damn it, which loser just spoke so sarcastically? Is it a hero who stood up for me?" Li Shorty looked around, his eyes seeming to devour anyone.
"It's me!" Someone suddenly said.
Everyone looked at the source of the sound in surprise, and saw a scholar in a green robe looking at Li Shorty coldly, with all evil in his eyes.
When Li Chaozi saw the other party dressed as a scholar, he frowned slightly, obviously afraid: "Who are you? Do you have a reputation?"
Xu He said coldly: "There is no fame!"
When the other party heard this, he was immediately furious: "How dare you, a poor mother-in-law, interfere with labor and management matters?"
Xu He said: "What? In this world, if the road is uneven, some people will trample on it, and if things are not fair, some people will take care of it. I can't control it?"
Li Shorty laughed angrily at him: "You dare to imitate other people's business before your hair has even grown? I will open your eyes today to what Prince Ma has three eyes."
After that, he waved his hand, and five or six men as strong as cattle sprang out from the door.
Xu He sneered: "You guys, when the thieves come, you huddle in the city. As soon as the thieves leave, you show off your power in front of the people and say you have no eggs. Isn't it too much?"
"How brave!" That shorty Li laughed angrily when he heard this: "Brothers, beat this poor man to death!"
Seeing this, Xu He shouted: "Let's see who dares. My teacher is the former Hailing County Magistrate Li Zhijie, and I am Xu He, the head of this year's county examination!"
"What? Is he Xu He?"
"That Xu He who just moved here and is the chief executive of both the prefectural and county examinations?"
"He is back?"
