Zhang Wenhe said: "Sir, for what reason should we ask Guo Binchang to arrest people?"
"If Liu Heng is not the bandit leader, why do you need a reason?" Xu Tong said with dissatisfaction.
Zhang Wenhe explained: "There are few people in Datong who don't know that Liu Heng is the bandit leader. The main reason is that we have no evidence. If Guo Binchang wants to shirk, he can use this reason as an excuse to prevaricate."
"What? How dare he, a small county magistrate, dare to disobey the governor's order." Xu Tong looked displeased.
Zhang Wenhe said: "The Tiger Character Flag has been in Lingqiu for so long, but the Lingqiu government has never arrested Liu Heng, and there is no official document about the banditry. The students speculate that the Lingqiu government must have been colluding with the Tiger Character Flag."
"What do you mean?" Xu Tong frowned slightly.
Zhang Wenhe said with a smile: "Sir, if there is a nephew from Lingqiu who comes to see you, you can ask him to go to the Lingqiu County government office to sue the tiger-character flag grass officer for trying to seize the Xu family's property. When Liu Heng enters the lobby, Sanmu is not afraid. If he doesn't recruit him, then you, my lord, will be able to eradicate Liu Heng without any effort, and then place your trusted people in the Tiger Character Banner. From then on, the Tiger Character Banner, which is making a lot of money every day, will be your property, my lord."
"Haha, Mr. Zhang has the same idea as me." Xu Tong smiled and twirled his beard, and then said, "But I don't plan to let him go to Lingqiu to sue Liu Heng. He can also file a complaint here at the governor's Yamen."
"Absolutely not." Zhang Wenhe advised, "Sir, you don't know Liu Heng's relationship with the Xu family in Lingqiu. How can you come to Datong? I'm afraid the person will run away as soon as he gets the news. On the contrary, Ling Heng, who has a close relationship with Liu Heng, Qiu County, it is not easy to arouse his suspicion."
Xu Tong pondered for a moment and said: "What you said makes some sense, I will leave this matter to you."
Zhang Wenhe stood up, bowed to Xu Tong, and said, "Don't worry, sir. As long as Liu Heng arrives at the Lingqiu County Government Office, the students will definitely tell him whether he will come back or not."
Xu Tong nodded, then turned to the servant and said, "Go and bring over the man who claims to be my nephew."
"yes."
The servant agreed and withdrew.
Not long after, a young man in shabby clothes came back with the servants of the Xu family.
"uncle!"
As soon as he entered the house, the young man took two steps forward, passed the servant who was leading the way, and knelt down on the ground with a thud.
Xu Tong, who was sitting in his seat, frowned slightly, with a look of disgust in his eyes, and said lightly: "Get up!"
"Thank you, uncle." The young man got up from the ground.
Just as he was about to approach Xu Tong, he was stopped by a servant on the side.
Zhang Wenhe, who was standing next to him, said, "Young master, I wonder what your relationship is with the Xu family in Lingqiu?"
"Who are you!" The young man glanced sideways at Zhang Wenhe.
Zhang Wenhe said with a smile: "I am the governor's aide, and I usually help the governor handle some chores."
The young man curled his lips and said disdainfully: "What bullshit staff, isn't he just someone from my uncle's side?"
Zhang Wenhe choked in tone.
Hearing such words that were almost humiliating, I couldn't help but think in my heart. After all, he had also participated in the imperial examination and had a serious reputation. Even the governor Xu Tong would not talk to him like this.
Xu Tong's face sank. If the young man in front of him hadn't been of some use, he would have sent someone out of the house long ago.
"Uncle, you are back, but you don't know that our Xu family is now in a state of being bullied." As he said this, the young man wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves.
Xu Tong naturally knows the affairs of the Xu family, and he will definitely not let go of the culprit.
However, he did not deal with Tiger Flag because of the Xu family, but because Tiger Flag was a well-known business in Datong. According to rumors, it was making money every day, and it was a big business with mountains of gold and silver. Such a cornucopia, before he came to Datong, he Already thinking about it.
Xu Tong asked: "Which room of the Xu family do you belong to?"
"My nephew is from the second room, and Xu Youcai from the eldest room is my nephew's uncle." The young man replied, and at the same time, "They were all uncles killed by Liu Heng of Tiger Character Banner. Uncle, you are now the governor of Datong, but We must avenge our Xu family!"
"Aren't you that Xu Shunqing?" Zhang Wenhe frowned.
The young man glanced at Zhang Wenhe and said, "I am Xu Shunping, and Xu Shunqing is my younger brother. There has been no news since the last time I came to Datong to sue Tiger Flag Liu Heng."
"Dead!" Zhang Wenhe was shocked.
As a staff member of the governor, I had been exposed to many dark things, and I immediately thought that Xu Shunqing had been silenced, and the person who killed him was most likely Liu Heng of the Tiger Flag.
"died?"
Compared to Zhang Wenhe's surprise, Xu Tong just frowned.
He didn't care much about the life and death of the Xu family in Lingqiu. What concerned him was that Xu Shunqing's death would inevitably delay his planning of the Tiger Flag.
"You can't see a person alive, but you can't see a body dead." Xu Shunping said with lingering fear, "Uncle, do you think Xu Shunqing was killed by people from the Tiger Flag?"
Xu Tong ignored him and looked at Zhang Wenhe.
Zhang Wenhe understood what Xu Tong was worried about and said: "It will be troublesome at most without Xu Shunqing, but we only need one person to complain. As long as Liu Heng arrives at the Yamen, we are not afraid that he will not sign the confession we want."
Xu Tong nodded and said, "I will leave this person to you, and you will handle the matter."
"Don't worry, sir, the students will definitely take care of things." Zhang Wenhe bowed his hands and saluted.
"Uncle? What are you talking about? My nephew doesn't understand at all!"
Xu Shunping looked at Xu Tong with a confused expression, and then at Zhang Wenhe on the left.
Xu Tong ignored him.
On the contrary, Zhang Wenhe next to him smiled and said: "Master Xu, follow me!"
"You, where are you taking me?"
"You'll know when you get there." Zhang Wenhe said, "Master Xu, please!"
As he spoke, he made an inviting gesture towards the door.
When Xu Shunping saw that the staff around Xu Tong were taking him away, he hurriedly said: "I won't leave. I want to stay in the governor's office, stay with my uncle, and serve my uncle."
Officials always have people who are friendly and trustworthy around them. These people are usually the official's fellow villagers, or people who are close to the official.
Although they are just servants, when outsiders want to ask officials to do things, the first thing they ask for is the people close to these officials, and inevitably they have to give some benefits. It is considered a fat job. The chief attendant of an ordinary county magistrate can work for a year, not to mention the profit. If you go from one to two hundred taels, you can still get the benefits of five to sixty taels.
Not to mention the attendants around the governor, who would only earn more money than the attendants around the county magistrate.
Xu Shunping had this idea and wanted to stay with Xu Tong and do errands by virtue of his status as a member of the same clan as Xu Tong.
Although Zhang Wenhe was just an aide, he had followed Xu Tong for many years, and he could see Xu Shunping's little thoughts at a glance, and said: "Master Xu, please follow me obediently. If you complete what you have asked me to do, you may return the favor." I will reward you with a future."
Xu Shunping looked at Xu Tong.
Xu Tong said: "You and Mr. Zhang go to do something. Once it's done, I'll stay in your house and take care of you."
Xu Shunping hesitated for a moment before saying, "My nephew listens to my uncle in everything."
Then he followed Zhang Wenhe and left the house.
