The police officers from the Yamen breathed a sigh of relief when they descended from Dongshan and walked onto the official road leading to the county seat.
A policeman walking with the headman whispered: "Shitou, are we going back like this?"
Shi Baotou said with dissatisfaction: "Otherwise, what do you want to do, go back to Dongshan? Or do you have the ability to arrest people and bring them back to the Yamen?"
"That's not what I meant." The policeman said sarcastically, "We came here with great fanfare, but if we just go back empty-handed, it won't be easy for us to deal with the county magistrate!"
Another detective on the side interjected: "What do you care about now? You didn't see the battle just now. If we really take action, none of us can leave. If you want to go back, you can go back. Anyway, I can't When I go back, I will work as a policeman to support my family, and I don’t want to lose my life in Dongshan.”
"What do you mean by that? I am doing it for the sake of the stone."
"Okay." Shi Baotou said, "You should be lucky. These bandits in Hutou Village are not simple at first sight. How can ordinary bandits use firecrackers? Even the main barracks of the garrison master does not have so many firecrackers. .”
After a pause, Shi Baotou continued: "I'll go talk to the adults, and now everyone will return to the county office honestly."
Shi Baotou had the highest status. When he spoke, no one openly argued. At most, he whispered a few words to the people around him.
A group of police officers quickly arrived at the east city gate, and Shi Baotou, who was walking in front, breathed a sigh of relief.
It's safe once you enter the city gate.
"Shi Baotou, we went out of the city in such a big battle, where are the captured bandits? Why didn't I see them?" Seeing Shi Baotou and his party returning empty-handed, the hundreds of households guarding the city gate pretended to look for them among the guards.
The soldiers guarding the city gate are all men and horses guarding the main barracks of the mansion. They belong to different categories from the police officers. One is a military general and the other is a civilian official.
Seeing the yamen's police officer being unlucky, the soldiers guarding the city gate laughed at him without hesitation.
Shi Baotou had a dark face and entered the city directly from the east gate without saying anything.
The leading catcher didn't say anything. Even if they were dissatisfied, the other catchers suppressed it and followed behind with ugly expressions.
Shi Baotou didn't say anything. The hundred households guarding the city gate had no intention of letting him go so quickly. They stood at the city gate and shouted loudly: "Shi Baotou, you went out of the city to catch the bandits in such a big battle and didn't bring anything back. Go back." It’s not easy to do business. Do you want my brother to help you catch the bandit? You’re welcome. If you need anything, just tell me.”
The soldiers guarding the east city gate laughed without scruples.
Shi Baotou walked faster and faster without even turning his head.
………………
Lingqiu County Government Office Hall.
The county magistrate Guo Binchang was sitting on the Taishi chair in the back hall in his regular clothes. A piece of rice paper was spread out on the table in front of him, with paperweights on both sides. On the rice paper were written the four characters "please order for the people".
"Good words, good words! Your Excellency's words are in a trance. The four words 'please for the people' fully demonstrate your ardent passion for serving the people. It can be seen that your Excellency has the people in his heart and is a good official who is devoted to the people." "Master Jia next to him read the four words on the rice paper and praised them repeatedly.
Guo Binchang showed a look of interest on his face, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, then said: "I heard that Xu Dongzhu of the Xu family is also good at calligraphy. How does my calligraphy compare with his?"
"There is no comparison." Master Jia shook his head slightly.
"Yeah!" Guo Binchang looked angry.
Master Jia hurriedly explained: "The student is saying that the proprietor of the Xu family is not comparable to the calligraphy of adults."
Guo Binchang's expression softened slightly and he said, "Then tell me why his calligraphy is so incomparable."
Master Jia, who was standing nearby, looked at the words on the table, pondered for a moment, and said, "Dr. Xu is a businessman himself. There is a vulgarity in his words, and the lines in his words are full of the smell of copper..."
Just as he was talking, a government servant came into the back hall, bowed his waist and saluted, and said: "Sir, Shi Baotou is back."
Master Jia stopped what he was saying and asked, "Sir, do you want students to go see Shi Baotou?"
"No need, he's just a bandit leader. He can just be put in prison and interrogated when I have time." Guo Binchang said again, "Master Jia, please continue to use my words."
"Yes." Mr. Jia bowed slightly and continued, "Your Excellency's calligraphy has a lot of charm, especially the heart of serving the country and the people, which makes the already extraordinary calligraphy even better. The calligraphy of Xiangguang layman also Nothing more than that.”
Guo Binchang laughed and said: "Haha, it can't be compared, it can't be compared. Mr. Dong's calligraphy is one of a kind. If I can only have two or three tenths of it, I'll be satisfied."
He spoke politely, with a look of pride on his face.
"Your Excellency, you are humble." Master Du responded with a smile.
Guo Binchang took a sip of tea from the bowl and saw that the Yamen who had come to deliver the letter in the back hall had not yet left, so he asked, "Is there anything else?"
The officer said: "Back to your lord, Mr. Shi has not brought back the bandit leader. He is currently waiting for your lord to question him in the lobby."
"What?" Guo Binchang's face sank, he put the bowl in his hand heavily on the table, and said with dissatisfaction, "I have allowed him to take most of the county police officers with him, but he even caught a thief who fell into the mountains. If he doesn’t come back, what use will he have as a head catcher? I’d better replace him with a capable person.”
The officer lowered his head and said nothing.
Master Jia on the side advised: "Sir, don't be impatient. It's better to call Shi Baotou in first and ask what's going on. Shi Baotou is also an old official, so he doesn't do things without reasons."
Guo Binchang snorted coldly and said, "Let him come to the back hall. I want to ask questions."
The yamen servant bowed and left.
Not long after, Shi Baotou came to the back hall, lifted his robe, knelt on the ground, and said, "I have seen the magistrate."
"Shi Baotou, do you know the crime?" Guo Binchang came up and asked about the crime.
Shi Baotou hurriedly lowered himself to the ground and defended himself: "I have been wronged, sir. I would like to ask you to be clear. At that time, in the iron field, the bandit leader had nearly two hundred bandits. Everyone was wearing armor, and all of them had firecrackers and spears in their hands. Although there are about a hundred or so police officers brought by the villain, their soldiers and armor are not as good as those of the bandits. In desperation, the villain has no choice but to conserve his strength and bring the people back to the county government again."
In his words, he exaggerated the number of bandits he saw, and also subtracted the words, describing the cotton armor as side armor, making people mistake it for chain mail armor.
"That's nonsense." Guo Binchang slapped the table and said, "How can a group of grass bandits and their ilk be equipped with armor? I, the Ming Dynasty's border troops, can't do that. Besides, firecrackers are forbidden items among the people. How did they get them? I'm looking at you. They are afraid of death and will retreat without fighting."
Shi Baotou defended himself: "Sir, the villain really didn't lie. Anyone who went to Dongshan with the villain can prove it for the villain."
Guo Binchang said angrily: "At this point, if you still dare to quibble, I will remove you from your position as the head catcher today and replace you with a capable person."
"Sir, this villain is wronged, wronged!" Shi Baotou begged on his knees.
"Stand down yourself. I don't care if I don't want to see such an incompetent person like you." Guo Binchang flicked his sleeves and robe with a bright look on his face.
Shi Baotou wanted to beg again, but he saw Master Jia winking at him.
"I'll excuse you, villain." Shi Baotou glanced at Master Jia before leaving the back hall, and then exited the back hall.
