"Sir, Mr. Zhang is here."
A guard wearing cotton armor came in from outside to report.
Huang An frowned and asked, "Which Mr. Zhang? I don't remember knowing Mr. Zhang or Mr. Li."
As a defender of Lingqiu, he has been extremely unhappy since he took office.
The two thousand households under his command had to pay almost every day. In addition, he could not command the two thousand households at all. The only people he could command were the personal guards he brought from Tianchengwei. .
It can be said that he now has the reputation of guarding Lingqiu, but he has no actual defense. Others become officials and make money, but he can't earn anything and can only eat a little free money, and he is still being chased by two thousand households all day long. rates.
Although Lingqiu County has not changed much in the past year or so, Xujiazhuang outside the county has become a gathering place for merchants, with constant traffic and bustling. It can be said that even the horse market on Datong East Road cannot compare to Xujiazhuang. .
Xujiazhuang has everything available at the horse market, and the quantity is not limited. There are not as many rules as the horse market. Many merchants prefer to come to Xujiazhuang to do business.
Such a place where gold and jade is piled up is obviously under his jurisdiction, but he can only look back and sigh. It does not benefit at all. On the contrary, it has to suffer from the anger of the two thousand households below.
The guard said: "This person is the governor's staff member, Mr. Zhang."
"It turns out to be Mr. Zhang." Huang An hurriedly stood up from his seat and said immediately, "Quick, follow me to meet Mr. Zhang."
Huang An led the people to welcome him outside the mansion.
Outside the gate of the mansion, Zhang Wenhe in the carriage saw Huang An coming out, and then he got out of the carriage.
"I've seen Mr. Zhang before." Huang An walked a few steps quickly, walked down the steps, and bowed to Zhang Wenhe.
As a guard of Lingqiu and a fourth-grade military attaché, no one felt there was anything wrong with giving such a gift to Zhang Wenhe.
Juren can already become officials, and some remote lower-level county magistrates only have the title of jurisprudence. What's more, Zhang Wenhe is still a governor's staff, which can be said to be the first level to meet an official. Not to mention a military general like Huang An, even the magistrate of Lingqiu must respect him when he sees him. Respectfully.
"Huang Shoubei." Zhang Wenhe cupped his hands casually.
The Ming Dynasty valued literature over martial arts, especially in the middle and late stages. Even if he was just a civil servant, he didn't care much about a military position like Huang An.
"Mr. Zhang, please come in." Huang An made an inviting gesture.
Zhang Wenhe walked in front, accompanied by Huang An, who also led the way.
Arriving at the back hall of the garrison mansion, several people sat down respectively, and the servants served tea.
"Mr. Zhang, please have tea." Huang An said respectfully.
Zhang Wenhe nodded, picked up the bowl of tea on the side, put it to his mouth and took a sip, and then said: "The tea is good."
After saying that, he put the tureen on the other side.
Huang An said with a smile: "If Mr. Zhang likes it, I will ask the people below to prepare some and bring them to Mr. Zhang when he returns to Datong."
"No need." Zhang Wenhe waved his hand and said, "I did not come to Lingqiu this time just to drink a few taels of tea from you."
Huang An asked curiously: "I wonder what you are talking about, sir?"
"Of course it's about the Tiger Character Flag." Zhang Wenhe said it word for word.
Huang An's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked hurriedly: "Is this what the governor meant?"
Zhang Wenhe nodded slightly, then picked up the tureen and took a sip of tea.
"Great." Huang An excitedly slapped his thigh and said immediately, "Tiger Character Banner is a bandit den, and their proprietor Liu Heng is a bandit leader. However, Xia Guan has been restricted by all parties, so he can only watch. Seeing that these bandits in the Tiger Character Banner have disrupted the peace of the place and harmed the people, now the governor has ordered the bandits to be suppressed, and the lower officials will definitely follow."
Zhang Wenhe shook his right hand and said: "The governor is determined to suppress bandits, but after all, Tiger Flag is not an ordinary business. It is involved with many officials in Datong, and is even more involved with the General Military Mansion. Without conclusive evidence, your Excellency cannot convince the General Soldier The government sent troops to Lingqiu to suppress the bandits."
"Then what does the governor mean?" Huang An frowned.
Now that the governor's office was chasing Baibang and suppressing bandit taxes, he thought that the governor was going to take action against the tiger-character flag. But now it seemed that it was not as he thought, sending troops directly to Lingqiu.
Zhang Wenhe said: "I remember the last time I met Mr. Huang, Mr. Huang once said that the Tiger Character Flag was building cannons."
"The matter of building the cannon is absolutely true, and the official is not lying." Huang An said hurriedly.
Zhang Wenhe said with a smile: "Don't worry, Mr. Huang, the governor has no intention of blaming Mr. Huang. Not only that, the governor hopes to find the gun range of the Tiger Flag and the ironclad evidence of the cannon-making."
"This is easy." Huang An said, "Everyone in Lingqiu knows that there is a place called Zhaojiayu, which is the artillery range of Tiger Flag. Every day, the sound of cannons continues, and the sound of cannons can be heard from close places. "
The people of Lingqiu all know that the Tiger Flag has an artillery range. As the Lingqiu garrison, they naturally know that the Tiger Flag's artillery range is in Zhaojiayu.
However, you know, but the General Soldier is behind the Tiger Flag, and many officials in Datong have been bribed by the Tiger Flag. Governor Liu does not believe that the Tiger Flag can build artillery, so no one has ever really gone there. Checked the artillery field of Tiger Flag.
Unexpectedly, the new governor would inspect the gun range of Tiger Flag not long after he took office.
Huang Anxin knew that Liu Heng of the Tiger Flag was dead.
Liu Heng is just a man in white. Even if he has the support of the general soldiers behind him, it will be easy for the governor of Datong to deal with him. Besides, there are so many places where the tiger-shaped flag is out of line, and he must be checked carefully.
Zhang Wenhe said calmly: "This matter still needs Mr. Huang's contribution."
"I am willing to serve the governor loyally." Huang An stood up from his seat and cupped his hands into fists.
Seeing this, Zhang Wenhe said with a smile: "Master Huang, please sit down quickly. The governor needs a capable official like you. As long as he acts faithfully, the governor will definitely benefit from you."
"I will definitely do my best to serve the governor." Huang An said respectfully.
At this time, his heart was full of joy. He felt that his fortune had finally turned around and he was able to gain a relationship with the governor. He had been angry with the Tiger Flag in Lingqiu for so long and finally had the opportunity to let out his bad breath.
"Now there is something that Master Huang needs to do." Zhang Wenhe said with a smile.
Huang An asked: "I wonder what Mr. Zhang wants to do?"
Zhang Wenhe took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "It's not me who wants Mr. Huang to do anything, but the governor."
"Yes, yes, yes." Huang An asked again, "What does the governor want to do with his subordinates?"
"It's very simple." Zhang Wenhe said, "The governor hopes that Mr. Huang will take the soldiers and horses guarding the camp and go to Zhaojiayu to find out the ironclad evidence that the Tiger Flag cannon was made. As long as this is done, the governor will naturally help Huang. Your Excellency, please note this merit."
After speaking, he looked at Huang An.
"This" Huang An hesitated.
After Zhang Wenhe saw it, his face sank and he said with dissatisfaction: "What? Mr. Huang is not willing? Or maybe Mr. Huang's words of loyalty to the governor just now were just words."
