Peng Shou'an was writing when he was suddenly summoned by the prison boss. He was startled and a brush fell onto the paper, staining a large area.
"What's the purpose of the summons..." Peng Shou'an asked, barely suppressing his nervousness.
"The new county magistrate wants to see you, so pack up and follow Chief Luo immediately."
When Peng Shou'an heard that the new county magistrate wanted to see him, he immediately felt relieved and somewhat excited. It seems that the new county magistrate has the intention of re-employing him. He hurriedly straightened his hat and robe, made a solemn and solemn appearance, and said: "Please lead the way from the front."
The prisoner secretly cursed in his heart: "You hungry sour man!" However, the county magistrate wanted to see him now, but he would be the "consultant" again later. He did not dare to neglect, so he apologized and said with a smile: "Sir, please walk slowly this way. .”
Peng Shou'an nodded slightly and walked out in all directions. When he saw Luo Yiming, he quickly raised his hands in greeting:
"Chief Luo, students are polite..."
"Stop using the polite words, the county magistrate is waiting for you." Luo Yiming saw that the old man in front of him was in good spirits, not at all "dead" when he was imprisoned, and thought to himself: This old guy can survive!
However, there was a need for him at this time, so he couldn't be rude. Besides, she was a young woman, so she had to remind him first, lest the old man would say something he shouldn't have said in "inexplicable horror".
Immediately, he explained the situation of the new county magistrate and reminded: "The laws of the Senate are not the same as those of the Ming Dynasty, so don't comment!"
"Students, please keep this in mind." After hearing his words, Peng Shou'an's mood that was originally a little eager to try suddenly became half bad. In my heart, I secretly complained that Director Huang was possessed by something evil - since ancient times, when women were in charge of the house, the house collapsed. Although Yangshan is not a big county, the county magistrate is also a "hundred-mile prince". It is really a strange thing to have a woman as the county magistrate!
In a peaceful time, it would be okay for Director Huang to be so messy. As long as there are one or two capable staff to assist and the female county magistrate to rule, at least there will be no big trouble. Right now, Yangshan is in a state of war and chaos! Even if he was appointed as the county magistrate, Peng Shou'an, he felt that he couldn't handle it, let alone a young woman! Such a child's play, the Song Dynasty is going to die!
If he hadn't been at the gate of Yangshan Prison at the moment, if he were in Lingao, he would probably have gone to the Senate to "admonish". Peng Shou calmed down his excitement. Thinking that he was still half a prisoner and half a guest, his original excitement cooled down: He was in an unexpected situation right now, so he didn't care about other people's affairs! Let's go and see how charming this female county magistrate is. She can actually seize the high position by seducing the charming Huang Yuanlao.
When I arrived at the county magistrate's office, I saw the female county magistrate sitting behind the desk working. Her figure was thin and thin, like a child!
"County Magistrate Pi, Consultant Peng is here."
Fenda raised her head and saw in front of her an old man in his fifties. He was wearing Ming Dynasty clothes and his elegant appearance was quite similar to the Mr. Dong Heng she had seen in Moli Xuan when she was in Lingao. She nodded and said, "Mr. Peng, please sit down."
Peng Shou'an saw that this woman was very light-looking and had dark skin. She was actually a young girl! He was immediately startled, thinking that she looked no different from the rough girl back home! Even the unhappiness that the other party didn't stand up to greet me was forgotten.
Fuda said: "Mr. Peng, I am the new acting county magistrate, Fonda."
Although Peng Shou'an was shocked, he did not forget the etiquette. He bowed and said, "I, Peng Shou'an, am currently the consultant of this county."
Pinda looked at Peng Shou'an and said: "Mr. Peng, you know the current situation, so I won't be polite to you. Our situation in Yangshan is very difficult, and we urgently need to open up a new situation. I am new here and I am not familiar with the local area. As for the situation, you are our consultant and have also been a county magistrate in the Ming Dynasty, so you should be very familiar with Yangshan - think about what you think."
If he had said this in the past, Peng Shou'an would have had to show off, but what happened to Wang Chuyi frightened him out of his wits. He didn't dare to "offer advice" anymore. He just kept saying that he was "stupid" and "too old." ", refusing to say another useful word.
Fenda was tired of hearing this. She knew that Peng Shou'an was afraid of making the same mistake again, so she said sincerely: "Mr. Peng, I know you have concerns now. But we all know that you don't have any bad intentions. Whether it's you or County Magistrate Wang, everyone is I want to manage this Yangshan well and reassure the Senate! Besides, you are only a consultant, and we, the administrative leaders, should be responsible for the specific mistakes in governance. So you don’t have to have any ideas, just say what you want.”
Luo Yiming was secretly surprised, thinking that this Pinda was so courageous! Not only did he shoulder all the responsibilities, but he also made it clear that Peng Shou'an was not responsible for Wang Chuyi's failure. This was a qualitative statement that only the Senate could say. Even ordinary senators would not dare to say such words easily. .
These words were sincere. Peng Shou'an had been an official for many years and had never met an "official" who spoke so clearly. He was slightly moved. Said: "It's not that the student is pushing the envelope, it's actually that the student has messed up. When County Magistrate Wang treated me with my heart, the student made suggestions for him. I thought it would help him pacify Yangshan and earn a bright future. Unexpectedly, the scholar's empty talk ended up It is a mistake to harm the country. County Magistrate Wang fell into a trap, lost his troops, and was seriously injured himself. His life was in danger. The student is already a shy person, so how can he think of any 'opinions'..."
Seeing the old man's emotional words, Panda seemed to have tears in his eyes, thinking that this man was quite sincere! Then he comforted him: "Don't get excited! We are in the same boat in Yangshan County now! The current situation is very difficult, and we urgently need to open up the situation. You are the one who is most familiar with the local situation among us, so we need you here." Please help.”
Peng Shou'an wiped his face and said: "If you ask students to make suggestions, I will not be able to obey. But as long as it is about the local people of Yangshan, students only need to know everything they know and tell them everything. If there is anything Students must be sent on errands, and students should do their best.”
Luo Yiming secretly scolded the old guy as "slippery", but Pinda didn't take it seriously. He asked: "In that case, I would like to know about the situation of the powerful gentry family in this county - their reputation must be upright."
"This is easy." Peng Shou'an was more than convinced when he saw that he didn't want to offer his own suggestions. As for the situation in the county, he had been a county magistrate here for several years, and he had a "fish-and-water relationship" with the big gentry families, so he was very familiar with it.
He thought for a while and said: "The number one figure among the Jin gentry in this county is Ouyang Xi."
The Ouyang family has lived in Yangshan for a long time, and their ancestors also served as officials. The names of their families have continued for generations, making Yangshan a wealthy family. When it came to Ouyang Xi's generation, he himself had no academic title and was considered a commoner. However, his son Ouyang Da was an imperial scholar during the Tianqi period, so the Ouyang family was quite popular in the local area.
"What's his family's reputation in the county?"
"Master Ouyang is very loyal and has done a lot for the county. Let's talk about Mr. Han's reading desk. It was Master Ouyang who initiated the reconstruction..."
Fenda nodded. She knew that Ouyang Xi was the "village sage" often mentioned by the elders in the cadre training class. Of course, the senators always mentioned the word with a playful disdain. Within the elders, how to treat rural virtuous people is also a frequent point of contention among the leaders - this debate is sometimes brought directly to the classroom. However, in general, the Senate rejected and distrusted the rural sages.
"He is eager for justice, so he probably just built a reading desk, right?"
"This is a big thing. If we talk about repairing bridges and roads, relieving victims and other small things, Mr. Ouyang has also done a lot." Peng Shou'an was an official in Yangshan and got along very well with the Ouyang family. Many difficult official tasks were solved. Only the help from his family is understood. Naturally, he reciprocated the favor and "take care" of Ouyang Xi's family.
"Where is his home?"
"The Ouyang family originally had a house in the city. When the Yao Rebellion broke out, their family moved to a village in the countryside."
"Is there any Tuanyong in his family? Approximately how many people are there?"
Peng Shou'an was a little unsure of what this woman meant, and he couldn't help but panic, saying: "About...no more than...two to three hundred people..."
Fanda felt a little strange when he suddenly faltered in his words. After thinking about it again, he completely understood. She said sternly: "Mr. Peng! I asked you about his family's situation because you said that his family is 'interested in justice' and a good family with 'honesty and integrity'. I don't have to hide it from you. We are in Yangzhou now." The situation in the mountain is very dangerous, and we need to find the support of powerful local people. This matter is of great importance. Say what you know. Don't hide it or exaggerate it."
Peng Shou'an nodded repeatedly, thinking that this woman had some knowledge! If the chief does not send reinforcements, they and others will not be able to break the situation in Yangshan anyway. If they can get the support of people like Ouyang Xi, it will indeed be a good strategy.
However, he had previously discussed similar ideas with Wang Chuyi. Although Wang Chuyi agreed with his views, he did not adopt them. Peng Shou'an was very puzzled for a time - it took him a long time to understand: the Senate has always been unfavorable to Xiangxian.
I didn’t expect that this woman would actually dare to do something that Wang Chuyi didn’t dare to do! While Peng Shou'an admired him, he couldn't help but be secretly alarmed by the situation in Yangshan: Could it be that the situation has become so bad that the Senate is "using any means necessary"?
He calmed down and said: "There are not many brave men in his hometown, only a hundred people. However, there are many children in his family, and there are many long-term tenant farmers. If there is an emergency, half a thousand people can be armed in an instant."
"There are quite a lot of people." Pinda asked again, "Is there anything about the Ouyang family that causes public dissatisfaction?"
When Peng Shouan heard this, he quickly cheered up. The Senate attaches great importance to public reputation, among which the key points are important. He thought for a moment, carefully weighing the words and said: "As I said when I was a student, the Ouyang family has always been eager for justice and has a strict family tradition. There are no major public complaints. However, his family is a big family, with a prosperous population and many children. Between three and four hundred men, it is inevitable that the good will be mixed with the bad. Moreover, it is inevitable that such a large family will act tyrannically in the local area. Please pay attention to the county magistrate."
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Next update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Chapter 444
