Everyone present noticed that something was wrong. The appearance of prosperity seemed to hide something unknown.
This is what Han You hates the most. Whenever something bad happens, don't worry, the actual situation is worse than you think. Whenever something good happens, don't worry, it's definitely not that good.
Not bothering to waste time on secret visits, Han You said bluntly: "I want to visit the prefect here. Can you tell me where the prefect is?"
When he heard that he wanted to see You Mingtang, the leading man's face lit up with joy.
"May I ask if this young master came from the south?"
"how do you know."
"Ask me again, Master, but... which family is the most outstanding?"
Han You didn't know why, so he just started to make nonsense. Lu Baichuan's IQ began to be erratic again, and he said: "Zhao."
One word - Zhao. As soon as the words came out, the leader was overjoyed, ecstatic, and lowered his voice extremely nervously: "But is the Zhao that the little one is thinking of, the Zhao of the South, the Zhao of our Great Zhou?"
"That's right." Lu Baichuan pretended to look like a domineering CEO, charming and arrogant: "That's Zhao!"
"Easy to say, easy to say, I will lead the way, and I will take all of you to see Mr. Lu."
"Lord Lu?"
Han You's pupils shrank suddenly: "Has the local prefect changed?"
"That's not true. The magistrate is still You Mingtang, who is ill at home. Now the person in charge of the city is Lord Tongzhi Lu."
"Master You is sick?"
Han You became increasingly suspicious.
The other party was just a small government servant. When referring to the magistrate You Mingtang, he called him by his first name, but when referring to his fellow magistrate, he called him "adult". This is an extremely strange thing.
In ancient times, politics and law were not separated. The magistrate was considered to be the secretary of the municipal party committee who also served as the mayor, and the second-in-command below was the magistrate, who was responsible for the supervision of grain, soldiers and horses, catching theft, supervising the execution of government orders, and land and water conservancy and other affairs for one prefecture and one city.
"Lead the way."
Han You, who was full of doubts, didn't ask any more questions. He suppressed the confusion in his heart and prepared to meet Mr. Lu first.
Several Yongcheng government officials did not notice anything strange about Han You and led the way with smiles on their faces.
Jiang Zhui pulled Han You's waist and whispered, "Last time we came here, my colleague's surname was not Lu."
"I know."
Han You didn't say much. He already had some guesses and more doubts in his mind.
I had just come from the magistrate's office. It took only a few steps and less than a stick of incense to arrive.
When he arrived outside the government office, Han You's expression became even worse.
When we came just now, we didn't get close, and we didn't look specifically. Now that we're here, we realize that it's very different from the last time we came.
The Yongcheng Magistrate's Office left a deep impression on everyone, because the office was built magnificently, like a spa club.
You must know that officials are very particular about not repairing the government office. Why should the government office that serves the common people be built so well? Isn’t it something people say? But it turned out that You Mingtang did the opposite, and the foreign merchants saw it. Since the government office is so wealthy, it must have thought that Yongcheng was very wealthy and would be conducive to "attracting investment."
This time, the government office was very ordinary, as ordinary as a very... very ordinary government office.
The wall was covered, and it was made to look old and mottled.
Those pleasing locust trees have also been cut down and removed. Looking through the gate, there is no longer the same scenery as before. There are two rows of prison cells next to the court hall, which are nothing new, just like the six departments and nine temples in the capital. , unchanged, old, dull, depressing, and inaccessible to strangers.
The Zhao family's brand is bright, especially in Southland, it is the brightest, and the brightest ones are dazzling.
There was no need to pay a visit or make an appointment in advance. A group of government servants hurried in to see if they wanted the so-called Mr. Lu to come out to greet them.
In fact, the Zhao family is really qualified for local officials to come out to greet them. Especially in the Southland, if the word "Zhao" is said, if it is a core child, local officials, even if they are fourth or fifth grade, will not be able to curry favor.
Han You did not take the initiative to go in. He stood at the door. Wang Hai, Lu Baichuan, Jiang Zhui, Pei Qi and a few other soldiers involuntarily protected Han You.
Han You reached out and grabbed Sikong Zhao's wrist, pulling it roughly to his side.
Sikong Zhao felt warm in her heart. She liked how Han You touched her inadvertently. Many small details would make her feel happy.
"Master Lu" as the yamen servant called him appeared soon, followed by several officials, wearing dark green fifth-grade official robes.
Very young, too young, only in his early thirties, with fair skin, a somewhat thin figure, fairly handsome facial features, and a bookish look on his face. At first glance, he looks like the kind of person who comes from a good background.
Han You did two days of homework before going to Nandi, and also learned on the way that compared to other places, including Beijing, many senior officials in Nandi are very young, and they are like Tang Qingfeng, deputy commander of the Southern Army, who has been praised by dozens of generals. The recommendation situation was similar. In the previous dynasty, they were recommended by local Confucian celebrities and even the entire local scholar community. In addition, their respective families then sought connections in the capital, or asked Ma Rulong to spend some money to serve as a parent official at a young age. This situation is simply not too common.
Han You doesn't reject young officials, he rejects young officials who come from wealthy families.
Lu Chengmin walked down the steps with a smile on his face. He nodded at Han You first and then walked towards him.
Han You cleared his throat slightly and stepped aside from Lu Baichuan and Jiang Zhui who were standing in front of him.
"Lord Lu."
Han You bowed his hands and saluted with a flat smile. Lu Chengmin returned the salute and then laughed loudly: "Young master Zhao came here and was greeted at a distance. Don't blame me. Don't blame me."
One good thing about ancient times is that few people brag. It's not that people don't have vanity, but bragging is really easy to get struck by lightning.
In the future, if you take a taxi and say that I am worth more than 20 billion, the driver will slam on the brakes and say, get out, get out, get out, I will earn you nine yuan and still have to listen to your bragging for three kilometers. chant.
In ancient times, if you rent a carriage, if your family has thousands of acres of fertile land and hundreds of servants, the coachman will definitely be a young man, a master or a young man.
There are generally very few people who pretend to be important people, very few.
Because you can tell whether a big person or a small person is at a glance. Small people, like common people, most of them have sallow complexions and thin muscles. You can tell from the color of their skin. No one will believe you when he tells you that he is a minister or a young minister in the capital.
As for the big shot, he wears different clothes and takes good care of himself. Even if he says he is a farmer, no one will believe him.
In addition, serious big shots don’t like to brag, so in ancient times, if people who had never met each other told each other where they were from and who I was, the credibility was very high.
Han You said that he came from the Zhao family, the Zhao family. Neither the government officials nor Lu Chengmin had the slightest doubt. After all, Han You's appearance was there, and there were a group of men standing next to him who looked like they had lives in their hands.
"Please come in and talk inside. Come in and talk. Fragrant tea and refreshments have been prepared."
Lu Chengmin is very enthusiastic, not as enthusiastic as an official, no, it should be said that he is as enthusiastic as a southern official facing the Zhao family.
Han You smiled and nodded, deliberately walked side by side with Lu Chengmin, and led a group of friends into the government office.
Inadvertently, Han You showed disappointment on his face.
As everyone saw outside, the government office has already changed its appearance and returned to what a government office should be, but everyone doesn't like this look very much.
That government office back then was like a symbol, a symbol related to You Mingtang, rebellious, alternative, original, unconstrained, and stubborn. The kind of stubbornness that allowed the world to judge that the official only governed the people.
Looking at it now, it seems like a rule, an everlasting rule, or it can be said that it is just going with the flow.
Drifting with the current refers more to fallen leaves falling into the water and floating with the current.
What are fallen leaves? They have lost the luster of life, left their original vitality and vitality, fallen into the water and flowed into the sea along with the river. They were submerged, swallowed, and disappeared without a trace, meaningless.
What Han You saw most was the rebellious You Mingtang, who looked like a bandit, not like a civil servant or a prefect.
But what he saw now was a fellow intellectual, a civil servant, a civil servant who was most like a civil servant and not like a civil servant like a mountain bandit.
Only Han You, who brought Wang Hai with him, entered the court, while Lu Baichuan and others stood guard outside the door.
Han You did not overwhelm the guests and sat in the guest seat, holding a cup of fragrant tea in his hand and smiling without saying a word.
It can be seen that the Zhao family is highly respected, and Lu Chengmin, who is obviously the master, does not sit at the head seat, but sits opposite Han You, with the same smile.
Han You finally spoke and asked what he was most concerned about: "I wonder where the prefect is?"
Wang Hai put his right hand behind his back.
Brother Hai knows his young master too well. If You Mingtang dies, many people in this city will die, including Tongzhi.
