No one was caught, and lime was sprinkled all over him. Lao Wu was shouting about bad luck all the way. In his words, there is a way as well! The most despicable method of spreading lime is something they disdain to use in this industry, but now they encounter such a person who has no lower limit. Old Wu kept saying that this guy was a disgrace to their profession and was not worthy of being a thief.
That's not what Shao Xi cares about. What he couldn't understand was, how could a person who had reached the peak of the fourth level of "Qi Control Realm" be willing to become a thief? It was difficult for him to understand that the unknown swordsman at the peak of the third level was so depressed before, but now it was good that an even weirder one appeared.
Another thing that Shao Xi couldn't figure out was that this person was so blatantly and unscrupulously playing hide-and-seek with the police all over the city. Why wasn't he worried that the city would be closed down and searched? His behavior is so eye-catching, so whether the stolen goods in his hand are pawned in the city or taken out of the city, they cannot escape interrogation. Why is he not worried about selling the stolen goods at all?
In this world, no matter who is a thief or a bandit, no matter what means he uses to obtain property, he is unwilling to attract the attention of the government, but this person does not seem to care about this, as if everything is under his control. What kind of bandit can ignore the pursuit of the police and the encirclement and suppression of the imperial troops? Could it be that he already has all the information from the government?
The two of them were walking back in disgrace when they met Zhang Chong and his party. From a distance, I could hear them shouting, "Who's in front of you? Don't you know there's a curfew at night? Why are you hanging out in the middle of the night?"
Lao Wu was not in a good mood at the moment, so he replied angrily: "Why are you shouting? You can't even catch up with a thief."
Zhang Chong came closer and saw the two of them. He quickly knelt down and said, "I have seen these two adults. It's so late. Where did the two adults come back from?"
"I slept well in the middle of the night, but I heard you chasing thieves on the streets. Where else could we go? Of course, we were chasing thieves."
Zhang Chong was frightened when he heard this, and said quickly: "How can you do such a dangerous thing to the two adults? Just leave this kind of thing to the younger ones."
Recalling that Zhang Chong and his party were as tired as dogs on the roadside, Lao Wu couldn't help but joked: "Leave it to you? I'll be too tired to run after just flipping through a few houses. If I leave it to you, I won't be able to catch him in this life." thief."
Upon hearing what Lao Wu said, Zhang Chong asked in confusion: "How did the two adults know this? I didn't meet the two adults along the way!"
Shao Xi couldn't stand listening anymore and asked Zhang Chong: "You two just ran past you and you didn't see us?"
Zhang Chong was confused when asked, "When did these two adults pass by us? I have never seen them before!"
"Never seen him before? Just when you were scolding that thief for running too fast for you to catch up."
While Zhang Chong was recalling in a daze when he had seen the two of them, the little catcher next to him picked up Zhang Chong's ears and said to him: "They are not those two big black mice, are they?"
"Ah?" Zhang Chong remembered, the two of them ran faster than the thief.
Old Wu yawned and said impatiently: "Okay, okay, we have to go back to sleep. Today is really unlucky. I didn't catch the thief and was covered in lime. This shameless and dirty thing."
Zhang Chong hurriedly led his detectives to escort Shao Xi and the two back to the inn, and called the innkeeper and waiter to get water, bathe and change clothes for Shao Xi and the two.
In addition, Zhang Chong also told Shao Xi and Lao Wu that he had reported the news of their arrival in Wan County to the county magistrate. The county magistrate said that he would personally go to the inn to welcome the two of them to the government office for a banquet tomorrow, saying that he wanted to cleanse them of their troubles.
Shao Xi felt a pain in his head after hearing this. He and Lao Wu were originally two fakes, but now they were invited to dinner by a real court official. Doesn't this mean that Li Gui bumped into Li Kui?
The most troublesome thing is that there is no way to refuse this matter now. They will come to your door in person tomorrow, why don't you hide and not see them? It seems that now we can only take one step and say one step.
After working on it for most of the night, everyone was tired, so they went back to their rooms to rest. There was no words for the whole night.
Early the next morning, Shao Xi had just finished washing and tidying up after getting up. Then I heard the hustle and bustle on the street, and the faint voice of the county government officials shouting to clear the way could be heard in the distance. When I walked downstairs, I saw the innkeeper and waiter already standing at the door, ready to greet the magistrate.
Old Wu also walked downstairs at this moment, looked at each other with Shao Xi, and the two of them walked out of the inn together.
I saw crowds of ordinary people on the street separated on both sides of the road. In the distance, the Zaoban yamen servants of the county government were sounding gongs and shouting to clear the way. Four bearers were carrying an official sedan towards the Bafang Inn. This scale does not mean that the county magistrate is concerned about pomp and circumstance, but it is the standard standard for court officials to travel, especially when they come to welcome two "adults" from the court like today.
The team arrived in front of the inn. After getting off the sedan, the curtain of the sedan was raised, and a man in official robes stepped out of the sedan. This man is about forty years old, with a thin stature and a slightly stooped body. He looks kind-hearted, but his eyes reveal shrewdness and cunning. Wearing a soft-footed headdress, a light green official robe, and a silver belt with nine knives, this outfit looks baggy and doesn't fit well no matter how you look at it.
Following Zhang Chong's guidance, the magistrate of Wanxian County came to the two men, bowed and saluted, and said: "My lower official Zhao Tianrong, I don't know that these two adults came to this county, and it is really a sin to miss them from afar. Please forgive me."
Shao Xi and the two also returned the favor. Now they are riding a tiger and it is difficult to get off. They have to get up even if they can't get up. Let's deal with it hard!
Shao Xi pretended to be polite and said: "Mr. Zhao is really too polite. The two of us were just passing through your county, and we didn't want to alarm the county magistrate. How could we have heard that bandits were rampant here, and we had a few fights with one of them last night? This is why we postponed our trip. I hope the county magistrate will forgive me for causing any disturbance."
Bandits are rampant in the areas under his jurisdiction. The fourth-ranking officials of the imperial court have directly dealt with the bandits on their own territory. At this time, they do not mean to reprimand. This would cause a group of local officials anywhere to panic. I feel in my heart. No bottom.
Zhao Tianrong hurriedly took two steps forward, bowed and apologized: "It's all because of the incompetence of the official and poor governance that caused the two adults to be disturbed in the place under the jurisdiction of the official. It is really the official's biggest sin. The official has prepared a preparation in the house. By having a banquet, one is to cleanse the dust of the two adults, and the other is to apologize to the two adults. I hope that the two adults will reward Xiaguan's face and give Xiaguan a chance to make amends."
The parents of this county invited guests to dinner in public, and Shao Xi really didn't know how to refuse. Just as he was about to say a few polite words, Old Wu struck up a conversation from the side.
"Originally, my young master has important things to do, but seeing that you have come to invite me personally today, I gave you this face. Please lead the way!"
Shao Xi was a little dumbfounded when he saw old Wu Guan being so powerful. He had really seen this in official circles, and he looked so stylish. "I have never eaten pork, but I have seen pigs walking." This is probably what he is referring to.
As soon as Zhao Tianrong saw that the two agreed to attend the banquet, he quickly said politely: "I would like to thank the two adults for their compliments. I have prepared a soft sedan for the two adults. Please get on the sedan."
As the two of them walked towards the sedan chair at the back, Shao Xi asked Old Wu secretly, "Old Wu, the two of us just went to the Yamen's office to drink. Don't miss the point then."
Old Wu said with a relaxed face: "Young Master, don't worry, don't forget that you are now called Inspector Shi, a fourth-grade official! You are three levels older than him. How dare he check your background? At the dinner table then. He must answer whatever you ask him. If he asks you anything, you can answer it if you want to. If you don't want to answer, just ignore him. He doesn't dare to ask more questions."
Shao Xi was still murmuring in his heart that pretending to be a government official was no small matter.
The two got on the sedan, and after getting up, the team headed towards the county government office, beating and shouting all the way.
In front of the county government office, the county magistrate, chief registrar, county lieutenant and others had been waiting for them for a long time. When they saw the two people getting off the sedan, they all stepped forward to salute. All the way to the flower hall of the county government office, I saw that wine and food had been prepared, and several maids and servants were standing aside with their hands down, ready to be commanded at any time.
After everyone sat down, Zhao Tianrong stood up quickly, picked up the wine bottle and filled the glasses for Shao Xi and Lao Wu himself.
After several maids filled everyone else's wine glasses, Zhao Tianrong stood up again and picked up the wine glasses. With a smile on his face, he said to Shao Xi and the two of them: "The small county is barren and lacks financial resources. We can only prepare this thin wine and vegetarian food. I hope you two adults won't be offended. You two adults can come to my Wan County now. It's It is our honor and also the honor of the people of Wanxian County. I would like to take this opportunity to toast the two adults with water and wine and wash their hands."
Several other companions also stood up and raised their glasses to toast, and Shao Xi and Lao Wu had no choice but to deal with it politely. This kind of banquet is the most difficult to eat. The table is full of kind words, but not one of them is true.
After just saying a few polite words, Zhao Tianrong picked up the wine glass again, stood up and saluted Shao Xi and the two: "I learned that the two adults were disturbed by bandits last night, and I was very frightened. It was all because of my incompetent management that the bandits were rampant. , I will use this glass of wine to apologize to the two adults, and hope that the two adults will forgive me for my lax supervision and poor hospitality."
After being polite again, Shao Xi put down his wine glass and asked Zhao Tianrong: "I heard that Mr. Zhao took office as the magistrate of Wanxian County more than half a year ago, and the banditry in the surrounding area also started to become more and more intense more than half a year ago. Why do you feel that this bandit is rushing? Are you here for Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Tianrong put down his wine glass and said with emotion: "Alas! It turns out that Xiaguan was born at the wrong time. He worked hard for half his life to gain fame. Fortunately, the court recognized him and gave him the job of being the head of the county. However, Xiaguan failed to do so. To enable the people here to live and work in peace and contentment is a real honor to the imperial court's entrustment and trust."
"Does Mr. Zhao know the origin of this bandit? Where is the origin of the bandit leader?"
"Before Xiaguan came here to take office, there were already bandits in the Wanqing Mountain area here, but the troubles became severe in the six months after Xiaguan took office. As for the bandit leader, I heard that a new bandit leader emerged in Wanqing Mountain more than a year ago, named Call Yan Song."
"Yan Song? Does Mr. Zhao know this person?"
