The sedan was carried all the way to the entrance of Li Mansion Lane, but stopped and could not enter. "What's going on?" Master Fan asked unhappily. This is really inexplicable. Could anyone see me blocking my sedan chair and not letting him pass?
"Master, it's really impossible to get in." Wei Xiong went to the front to take a look, ran back holding the handle of the knife, and reported to him in embarrassment:
"There are carriages starting from the screen wall of the mansion gate, blocking half of the alley. If the carriages don't come out first, we will have to get off at the entrance of the alley."
"Huh?" Mr. Fan was very surprised: "Have the second and third bedrooms been moved out? What kind of fuss is Mr. Li's having at this moment?"
"Well, I don't know very well." Wei Xiong just finished speaking. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of someone running over from the other side of the house with the hem of his robe lifted up. He crossed his hands and said softly: "Master, Li Erlang is here. ." After saying that, he took a step back and stood next to the sedan.
"Li Jin pays homage to the county magistrate. How are you doing?" A young man outside said loudly.
Fan Taizun glanced out from behind the curtain and asked unhappily: "Mutai (characterized by Li Jin), what are you busy with at home, so that when the county comes, you can't even get in?"
"This..., sir, please forgive me. The students have ordered them to dodge immediately. Sir, please wait a moment. The students will get out of the way immediately. Oh, the students have sent someone to inform my father, who will be here soon!"
After Li Jin finished speaking, he apologized, wiped the sweat from his forehead and ran towards the screen wall.
Since the adoption procedures have been completed and he has gone to the ancestral hall to confess to his ancestors, the "father" Li Jin is talking about now is not his biological father Li Yan, but his stepfather Li Su.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was the county elder who came to visit me. I'm really negligent!"
Hearing Li Su's voice from far away, Mr. Fan couldn't continue sitting in the car to get candies, so he quickly kicked the car.
The bearers lowered the sedan chair, Wei Xiong opened the door curtain, and Master Fan appeared in front of Li Su with a smile on his well-maintained face.
"Why did Yan Ruo come to offend me? As an uninvited guest, I didn't think carefully enough. I should have sent someone to announce it first.
However, for the sake of Yan Ruo coming to announce the good news, please forgive me? "He said with a smile, as if he had never been unhappy.
"Ah? Announcement of good news? This..., where does the good news come from?" Li Su was confused.
"Brother, brother, the road has been cleared. Please invite the county magistrate to come in and speak!" Li Yan came to greet Magistrate Fan first, and then he led the way and let the sedan follow behind. Being interrupted midway, Magistrate Fan turned around and got on the sedan again. He didn't get off the sedan until he was carried through the second door.
As he walked in, Mr. Fan paid attention to the situation outside and saw that the carriages were loaded with boxes and cages, and he couldn't help but darken his face.
He didn't know what the two brothers were planning, but no matter how he looked at the situation, it looked like they were trying to escape! Could it be that they are transferring assets or preparing to leave Yugan? Thinking of this, Mr. Fan's heart sank.
As the county magistrate, it is best to lead the entire county's military and civilians to unite and work together when a disaster strikes.
If someone says that in such-and-such a county, all the famous families ran away when something went wrong, then it means that the county magistrate is unqualified, at least because he lacks talent and the ability to command decisively.
This would only be disgusting if the Nanchang inspector censor heard about it and reported it, or if some of the political envoys and counselors in the Mengcheng Xuanzong Envoy Department were involved in politics and asked someone to write it down in their experience book.
Look, you are the only one among the seventy-seven county magistrates. Do you still want to be promoted in the future? Find a cold yamen or a remote state or county in the northwest and sit on the bench!
"Yan Ruo is leaving? Where are you planning to go? Why, you didn't say hello to me as a parent beforehand?" He sat down in the hall and waited for his servants to serve tea with a cold face. Mr. Fan took a sip of tea and put down the cup. asked calmly.
By this time, both brothers had seen the change in his expression, and they felt a little embarrassed. Before Li Su spoke, Li Yan explained:
"Sir, please be at ease. My brother received a letter from a friend in Nanchang saying that there is hope for his recovery, so he plans to stay in Nanchang for a while to see the situation. He has no other intentions."
"Yes, the county is here to guard the hometown, my brother
All are greatly appreciated. I'm just going to see if there's any chance, and I'll be back soon if things go wrong. "Li Su regained his composure and said as if nothing had happened. Read the book
"I see, can the third master go with us?" Magistrate Fan looked at Li Yan with a sneer.
"Well, my brother's death is a major event for the whole family. Naturally, the student plans to accompany him so that he can help at any time." Li Yan replied with a smile, his eyes kept glancing at his brother, and his heart was pounding.
"Okay, that's great!" Mr. Fan snorted and tapped the table with his fingers: "Fortunately, I am quick and arrived in time to see your brother off. Oops, by chance, Grandma Gao has to go out too, right?"
"Well, it's a coincidence. The second brother and sister had planned to go to Nanchang to consult a female doctor, and they happened to take a boat to go with them this time." Li Su thought to himself, that's the end of the story anyway.
Originally, he had no intention of hiding it, and he couldn't. As soon as these vehicles leave the water gate and walk toward the dock, people will rush to the county government office to report the news in a blink of an eye.
Besides, the county needs to issue a road guide, otherwise at this juncture it would be difficult enough for the officers and soldiers to check you to death. Now that Fan County Zun has come to visit in person, that's just right.
"We are not leaving the county to move here. We will come back in a while. Don't worry, Lord County." After he finished speaking, he pointed with his hand: "These ancestral properties and houses cannot be moved, and besides, there are still servants left. I'm keeping watch at home..."
However, Mr. Fan couldn't listen to it anymore. He came here in a good mood today, but he didn't expect to leave in despair. He couldn't help but get up angrily and said: "Then I wish you both a safe journey. We still have official duties in this county, so there is no need to send them far away!" "
"Parents, please calm down." Li Su was completely calm at this time: "I know this time is not suitable, but it is indeed Tang Dixuan, the leftist political advisor, who sent me a letter to invite me. You know that I have been looking forward to the reunion for a long time, so..."
"My dear brother, there is no need to explain." Mr. Fan Xianzun waved his hands and turned around. He was disgusted with Li Su's use of Tang's political participation to suppress him, but he could not completely break his face, so he tried his best to put on a smile on his face:
"Don't I know what Yan Ruo is thinking? My dear brother, please take your family with you and don't worry about home. I will stay here to deal with the thieves." After saying that, he turned around and left.
Li Yan hurriedly sent it out and chased after him for a few steps before he remembered and asked, "Just now, the boss said he was here to announce good news. May I ask what the good news is?"
This sentence made Mr. Fan stop in his tracks, patted his forehead, and said without looking back: "Oh, by the way, I am not the only one, there is also Brother Dan from your mansion - Li Sanlang.
He has now been assigned by the government to patrol the southern capital and is leading elite troops to Yugan.
Oops, I guess you should get home today? You have a great nephew! Hahaha……. ” He laughed a few times, shook his head, went out and got into the sedan chair.
The two brothers were stunned by the news. After a long while, Li Su suddenly came to his senses: "Brother Dan is coming back with his troops? Damn it, we have to leave quickly!"
"What did brother say?" Li Yan was still a little confused.
"Go home quickly and tell the women not to bring so much waste. We are going to Nanchang, not the countryside!
Just take Xinruan and leave quickly. If it's too late, the hozen will come back and the soldiers will guard the door, and none of you will be able to get out! Who can persuade the little hozen when it gets angry? "
When Li Yan heard this, he felt anxious and hurried to his home, asking a servant to deliver a letter to Grandma Gao.
Although the family has been separated now, the second bedroom has not yet had time to move into a new home, so it is still living in the original small courtyard.
Li Yan's family has moved out. Although it is not very far from here, it is still a few steps away.
When he ran out of breath and ran into the house, he saw his two sons standing in the patio. He couldn't help shouting: "Why are you still standing there? If you don't leave, Saburo will come back!"
"What did father say? Sanlang is coming?" Li Zhu thought his father had made a mistake, so he repeated it.
"It's great that the third brother is back! Father, since the third brother is coming back, can we not leave?" Li Qin asked in surprise.
"Don't leave? There are thieves all over the place now. If you don't leave, will you stay and wait to die?" Li Yan stared.
"You've confused me too. Why is it that I can't leave, and it's still related to Saburo?"
Only then did Li Yan notice Grandma Shu who had just stood up from the chair. He patted his thigh, quickly stepped forward and grabbed the tea cup next to his wife and drank it in one gulp, and then continued:
"Fan Xianzun sent news that Sanlang was assigned by the government to inspect the southern part of the country, and he is leading his troops to Yugan. He will arrive today!
The eldest brother said that we would not be allowed to leave Yugan when Sanlang came back, so we only took Xinruan with us and we would buy the rest when we got to Nanchang. Hurry out of the water and get on the boat! "
After he said this, he looked at his wife's embarrassed look and asked, "What's wrong?" Then he noticed the expressions of his two sons, it seemed... they were very happy and excited.
"Father, if the third brother came back with troops to defend our hometown, why do we still run away?" Li Qin asked first.
"Yes, father, my son feels that the uncle did this very poorly." Li Zhu said:
"As the head of the local gentry, the Li family is the first to flee from the enemy. Such an action is despicable no matter what.
Just say that if you don't stay and help organize the villagers to resist, you should at least donate money and food! How can you abandon your fellow villagers and people and leave your house empty? "
"This, how is this an escape? It was Tang Shenzheng who invited your uncle to Nanchang!" Li Yan stamped his feet.
"It's just an excuse. If you want to go to Nanchang, when can't you go to this joint where the dark clouds are pressing down on the city and are about to destroy it?" Li Zhu came over and helped Li Yan sit down first, then knelt down and kowtowed. :
"Father, my child is unfilial. Please forgive me for not obeying my order. My child would rather stay in this county and die in battle than let the people point fingers behind his back and say that I have no one in the Li family!"
"Father, since I am practicing martial arts, there is no reason to hide from thieves. I won't leave either!" Li Qin, who was behind him, knelt down and kowtowed.
"Are you two going to make me mad to death?" Li Yan was stunned for a moment, then he slapped the table and shouted, "Your uncle is also thinking about the good of the whole family and your safety! How can you be so disrespectful?"
"Let us be the elders of the deserters." Li Qin whispered.
"Asshole!"
"Father, calm down and listen to the child." Li Zhu quickly comforted Li Yan, waving the girls behind his mother to leave first, and then said softly: "Father, don't be anxious, you have forgotten something."
"What's the matter?" Li Yan asked angrily.
"This dynasty started with martial arts. Both Taizu and Emperor Taizong had a clear edict not to imitate the martial arts of the two Song dynasties, and wanted scholars to maintain the martial arts style. Therefore, new scholars must practice martial arts, and only those who can ride horses and archery can participate in the palace examination."
"Of course I know this, but how does this relate to current events?"
"So, father, do you still remember that we, father and son, are both Juren?"
Li Zhu's words immediately stunned Li Yan.
According to the rules of this dynasty, if there is an invasion by bandits, the local chiefs and officials must resist the enemy and are not allowed to escape or abandon their defense. If the chiefs or officials are killed in battle, local officials and scholars will come to replace them.
In other words, if Mr. Fan is killed in battle, Li Yan, Li Zhu and his son can step in as substitutes and take charge of the county's affairs in his place.
Although Li Yan had no intention of pursuing an official career, Li Zhu was a new candidate. If he escaped, the imperial examination and subsequent official selection and appointment would be affected by this flaw.
So even if Li Yan fled with his whole family, Li Zhu couldn't leave under any circumstances unless he gave up his future.
"This, this." Li Yan's mind went blank: "What should we do?"
"My child, please ask your father to take your mother, aunt and sisters away, while your child will stay in the city." Li Zhu said, crossing his hands.
"I'll stay too!" Li Qin shouted.
"You have to go!" Li Zhu said.
"Why can you stay and I have to go?"
"Your second brother is adopted by your uncle. You have to be the seed of our house." Li Zhu said and looked at his father: "Besides, it's enough for me to be the only one left. Oh, I'm not the only one, there's another Where is Saburo!"
Grandma Shu's handkerchief was already wet with tears. She choked and pushed Li Yan gently: "Master, it's late, please make an idea quickly. Otherwise, our whole family will not leave at all, and we will die together!"
"Woman
Words! Li Yan shouted impatiently. Then he raised his eyes and looked at Li Zhu:
"A man needs his face, and a tree needs its bark. You are the one who lifts people, aren't I the master? Let me run away. Do you think your father can be as cowardly as a mouse?"
Grandma Shu grinned and cried loudly, but was quickly stopped by Li Yan. He called in a girl:
"Go and invite Ying'er (the legitimate daughter of Grandma Shu), Luo'er (the concubine of Aunt Cui), the eldest mistress (Li Zhu's wife Wang) and Aunt Cui!"
Everyone was here, even Lin Zifu, who had been promoted to housekeeper, came in and surrounded the room. Only Grandma Shu and Aunt Cui were sitting. Wang, who was already pregnant, stood beside Li Zhu.
Li Yan frowned and walked back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, as if he had not yet made up his mind.
Finally, he stopped under the inscription "Watch Xiulin Alone" written by himself, turned around and looked at everyone, then looked at Lin Zifu, and asked: "Old Lin, how have I treated you since you were a child?"
