"Why panic!" Guo Juren frowned, then relaxed his brows, looked at Zhang Wenhe, and said with a smile, "Make brother Mu laugh."
"Brother Guo, you should ask clearly first what happened. Maybe there is something important that makes you so panicked." Zhang Wenhe reminded.
Guo Juren nodded, and immediately said to the servant in front of him: "You are so panicked, tell me, what happened? If it is not an important matter, see how I deal with you."
"Yes, yes, yes." The servant bowed and nodded repeatedly, and then said, "Several officers and soldiers came outside. They named our Guo family and asked them to go to work for the army. They asked for ten sheep and five shi of rice. , some chickens and ducks, and five hundred taels of cash."
Guo Juren's expression changed, he slapped his hand on the armrest of the seat, and said angrily: "They are crazy, they want so much as soon as they open their mouths."
If he wanted the officers and soldiers to cross the border safely, he knew it would be impossible without some bloodshed, but he did not expect that the officers and soldiers outside the village would ask for so many things at the first request. Ten sheep and five stones of rice were easy to talk about. A few dozen taels would be enough, but That five hundred taels of cash is by no means a small amount.
It's not that the Guo family can't afford so much money, but he will never spend such a large amount of money to labor for this kind of thing, otherwise there will be more people fighting against the autumn wind in the future.
What's more, even if this money is given to Zhang Wenhe next to him, it is still better than those Ming soldiers who gave it to Fubiao camp for free.
"Master, it depends on what they want. If they don't agree, we will send troops to the village." The servant said with a grimace.
Hearing this, Guo Juren's face turned pale.
The passing of bandits is like a comb, and the passing of soldiers is like a grate.
If the officers and soldiers outside the village are really allowed to enter Zhuangzi, they will not be able to spend hundreds of taels of silver. I am afraid that even the Guo family will suffer a lot of damage.
"Nonsense!"
Bang... Zhang Wenhe slapped the table at his hand so hard that even the tureen on it shook a few times.
Guo Juren's eyes were attracted by the sudden noise, and his eyes lit up when he saw Zhang Wenhe with an angry face.
He couldn't afford to offend the people in the Fubiao camp outside the village, but there was someone in front of him who was not afraid of the Fubiao camp and could help them solve the troubles in the Fubiao camp in Guojiazhuang.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly said to Zhang Wenhe: "Brother Mu, you have to help me this time. These people in Fubiao camp are too much. They ask for five hundred taels at the asking price. How can my Guo family have so much money to give them." "
As he spoke, there was a sad look on his face.
Zhang Wenhe naturally didn't believe that the Guo family couldn't even get out 500 taels. A gentry family like the Guo family had accumulated accumulation for several generations. Not to mention 500 taels, even 5,000 taels could be obtained.
But he knows that he knows, but he can't expose it. This is still understandable in human nature.
Guo Juren saw that Zhang Wenhe did not challenge him and that he was unwilling to take care of him, so he said again: "Brother Mu, you are the supervisor of the Ming army outside the village. I can only ask you for help this time."
As he spoke, he turned to the servant in front of him and said, "Go to the housekeeper and ask him to pay one hundred taels of silver to the accounting room."
"Young man, go right away." The servant agreed, turned around and left.
Guo Juren turned his head, looked at Zhang Wenhe, and said with a smile: "Brother Mu, don't be too short on this one hundred taels of silver."
Hearing that the money was for him, Zhang Wenhe was stunned for a moment, and then understood what Guo Juren meant.
Although one hundred taels of silver was not as much as five hundred taels, he took the one hundred taels by himself, while the five hundred taels were shared by several generals in the Fubiao camp, and maybe he, the supervisor, had no share.
Thinking of this, he hesitated for a moment and then said: "The governor arranged for me to serve as a supervisor in the Fubiao Camp. I can't watch them plunder people's wealth wantonly. Brother Guo, please feel free. I will come to resolve this matter."
"Then there is Brother Lao Mu." Guo Juren bowed his hand with gratitude.
"Um."
Zhang Wenhe nodded, but he didn't move. He was still sitting firmly on his seat, taking a sip of tea from a tureen from time to time.
Guo Juren understood that he was waiting for the one hundred taels of silver to fall into his pocket before he came forward.
He was not in a hurry about this. He believed that as long as Zhang Wenhe came forward, no matter how courageous the Fubiao camp general outside the village was, he would not offend the governor's staff for a few hundred taels of silver.
After a short time, the servant came back into the house from outside, and with him was a middle-aged man of short stature, who was the housekeeper of the Guo family.
One hundred taels of silver was not a small amount, and as a steward, he naturally had to deliver the silver himself.
"Master, this is one hundred taels of cash that I just brought out from the accounting room." Butler Guo put a few white coins on the table.
Guo Juren pushed the silver towards Zhang Wenhe and said with a smile, "I still need to trouble Brother Mu."
"Brother Guo is too polite. Don't worry, I will resolve this matter right away." As he spoke, Zhang Wenhe collected the money.
"Then thank you, Brother Mu." Guo Juren bowed his hands towards Zhang Wenhe.
Zhang Wenhe smiled and nodded.
He came to Guojiazhuang and got one hundred taels of silver for free, which was an unexpected surprise for him.
After collecting the money, he naturally wanted to help the Guo family solve the trouble in Fubiao camp, so he said: "Brother Guo, prepare ten sheep and five stones of rice, as well as a few chickens and ducks, and ask someone to bring these things with me to see you." When I saw those people from Fubiao Camp entering the village."
"Okay, I'll have someone prepare it right away." Guo Juren agreed, then looked at Butler Guo and said, "Follow Mr. Zhang's instructions and hurry up and get everything ready."
Butler Guo in the room bowed and said, "Don't worry, sir, everything is ready."
As a housekeeper, he had already started to prepare these things when he knew that the officers and soldiers were coming. Except for the money, everything else had been prepared early.
"Brother Mu, do you want me to go with you?" Guo Juren looked at Zhang Wenhe.
"No need." Zhang Wenhe waved his hand and said immediately, "Ask your butler to arrange for a few people to bring their things and follow me."
Guo Juren nodded, then turned to his housekeeper and ordered: "Take your things and arrange for a few capable servants to go with Mr. Zhang."
"I understand, little one." Butler Guo bowed and agreed.
Zhang Wenhe stood up and walked outside the house.
Butler Guo hurriedly followed.
When they walked away, the servant of the Guo family in the room said worriedly: "Sir, can Mr. Zhang do it? If he offends those officers and soldiers, they will plunder and plunder, and then detain a bandit." Hat, our Guojiazhuang is doomed."
Since the Jinshi of the Guo family passed away, the Guo family has lost its glory. Although there is still a Juren to support it, the weight of the Juren is far less than that of the Jinshi.
If the Jinshis of the Guo family were still there, there would never be anything like the soldiers and horses from the Fubiao camp coming to their door.
Guo Juren stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Do you know who this Mr. Zhang is?"
The servant shook his head.
Guo Juren said proudly: "He is the aide to the governor."
"Ah! It turns out that he is the staff member Zhang who has the same friendship with your Excellency." The servant exclaimed.
"It's this person." Guo Juren said with a proud look on his face, "Back then, I was preparing for the joint examination with this person in Beijing. It can be said that we had a close relationship with each other. Otherwise, you would think that with just a few hundred taels of silver, we could become the governor of Datong. The staff around me personally came forward.”
"What I said is absolutely true. I still have the ability." The servant responded.
Guo Juren was very proud.
With Zhang Wenhe's relationship, some people who want to take advantage of the Guo family can retreat.
