With Jin Zhu and Ding Xiao guarding the gold and silver, Zhu Renxia and Liu Gongfu followed Master Lou to the magistrate's office with confidence to meet with the new magistrate Li Yao.
Liu Gongfu and Lou Dongfang walked side by side and asked puzzledly: "This barracks can accommodate at least a thousand people. Why does it look dimly lit and not many militiamen?"
Lou Dongfang smiled bitterly and said: "To be honest, the total number of civilians and officers in Liping City is less than 400."
"Uh... there are only these people in this dignified city, but why?" Liu Gongfu was surprised.
Lou Dongfang said: "After Tian Zongren died, most of the city's servants were forcibly captured by the rebels. The remaining Tian clan members refused to serve you."
"Why not borrow troops from the governor?"
"I borrowed it, but the governor is also having a hard time. He was overwhelmed by Yang Yinglong's offensive, so he only sent two hundred people over and another thousand taels of silver."
Liu Gongfu shook his head and complained for Li Yao: "In such a big city, two hundred people are probably not enough to fill the gap between teeth."
"But what can be done?"
Lou Dongfang spread his hands helplessly, "The prefect also wrote a book and asked people from the counties below to ask for food, but there were very few responders. The county magistrates from all over the country complained loudly, each with their own difficulties. Liping has eight counties under its jurisdiction, and sent them here The people are no more than 180 strong, and the salary sent is less than 2,000 taels."
"Then Master Li, the prefect, has done too much." Liu Gongfu couldn't help but cry out for Li Yao on his horse.
While they were talking, the three of them arrived at the "Prefect's Yamen".
"We're here." Lou Dongfang reined in his horse and called out.
"Where is it? Why didn't I see it?"
Liu Gongfu was a little confused. There was only a private house in front of him. Could this be the prefect's Yamen?
Zhu Renxia was also a little surprised, feeling that this was not the prefect's yamen in his mind.
Three or four months ago, he and Jin Zhu came to Liping City. He still remembered the grand courtyard of the prefect's Yamen at that time, with green bricks and red tiles. It was magnificent. The two stone lions standing in front of the door were majestic. How could it become a Residential house?
"Isn't that what it is!"
Lou Dongfang pointed to the vermillion-lacquered gate on one side of the street, "This is Mr. Li's office."
Liu Gongfu didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Is this what a dignified magistrate's yamen is like?"
Lou Dongfang smiled bitterly: "Tian Zongren's mansion was burned down by the rebels. Mr. Li didn't have money to repair it, so he had to find a place to stay temporarily. Don't look at this humble house, but it cost five taels of silver in monthly rent. There’s a place to work.”
Liu Gongfu couldn't help but sigh: "Master Li, it's too frustrating to be the prefect. The conditions are not as impressive as the town committee compound in our Chang'an Town."
There were two weak lanterns on both sides of the threshold of the magistrate's office. The servant who watched the door opened the door when he heard the noise, stepped forward and took the reins to help tie the horse.
They are all Li Yao's servants, so their attitude is quite respectful, and they are as different from the people outside who come from all over the world.
"Let's go, let the boy help you tie the horses, and let's go see Mr. Li."
Lou Dongfang dismounted from his horse and made a gesture of invitation, "Master Li has been waiting for a long time. I heard that you, Mr. Liu, are here. I have ordered my servants to buy food and drinks. I want to get drunk with you tonight."
After a while, Zhu Renxia and Liu Gongfu followed Lou Dongfang into the prefect's yamen.
In order to show respect for Zhu Renxia, Liu Gongfu deliberately opened half of his body. Anyone with a discerning eye can understand the master-slave relationship between the two with just a quick glance.
"This is our banquet room."
After passing through the corridor, Lou Dongfang stopped in front of a hall, stretched out his hand to push the door open and made an invitation gesture, "Mayor Zhu, Brother Gongfu, please come inside."
I saw an official in his forties, with a pale face, wearing a crimson official robe and a black gauze hat sitting in the room.
Without asking, Zhu Renxia knew that this person was Li Yao, the newly appointed prefect of Liping.
"Greetings, my lord!"
Liu Gongfu lifted up his clothes and bowed on one knee.
"Gongfu, what are you doing? Please get up quickly."
Li Yao, who was sitting on the round stool waiting quietly, stood up quickly and enthusiastically helped Liu Gongfu up, "Gongfu, we haven't seen each other for more than three years, right?"
"Three years and seven months to be exact."
Liu Gongfu stood upright and recalled the past with emotion, "I still remember that it was the early summer of the 21st year of Wanli, when the lotus leaves were green and the cicadas were chirping. I took my brothers to see you off for more than thirty miles... "
Li Yao laughed: "Haha... I didn't expect that Gongfu has learned to show off his literary talent now. There is progress, there is progress!"
"Hey, hey...it's all about what you feel, it's just about what you feel!"
Liu Gongfu scratched his head and smiled naively, "Your Excellency's kindness to me is like a reborn parent. How dare I, Liu Gongfu, forget it."
"I just ordered people to warm the wine. Please come to the table quickly. You and I will drink from each other. We will not get drunk tonight."
Li Yao enthusiastically invited Liu Gongfu to the table, and then he noticed that the young man beside him looked majestic and had the demeanor of a general in his words and deeds.
He couldn't help but be moved and asked: "Who is this young master?"
"Oh... look at me, as soon as I met the adults, I was so busy reminiscing about old times that I forgot to introduce you."
Liu Gongfu patted his forehead and blamed himself repeatedly, and then solemnly introduced Zhu Renxia to Li Yao: "Master Li, this is my master, Zhu Renxia, the mayor of Chang'an Town."
"Owner?"
Li Yao was surprised, and Lou Dongfang next to him was also surprised.
What kind of person would call another person his master?
Only servants and servants would call someone master. What a proud and arrogant Liu Gongfu was. Why would he call this young man master?
In fact, Liu Gongfu originally wanted to call Zhu Renxia his lord, imitating Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun in calling Liu Bei in the Three Kingdoms, but he felt it was inappropriate when the words came to his mouth, so he had to change his name to "master".
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos and the heroes were divided. Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan were all local emperors who held the power of life and death. Therefore, Liu Bei's civil and military officials called him their lord, which represented their ambition for the world.
You, a mayor, are called "Lord" by your subordinates, and even in front of a fourth-grade prefect, you are called a provocation and a slap in the face, at best, and it is a crime of conspiracy and trespassing, at worst.
Zhu Renxia hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted: "Brother Gongfu made a mistake, Mr. Li, please don't blame me. I am the mayor of Chang'an Town, Zhu Renxia, who has met the prefect."
"Haha... Mayor Zhu, there is no need to be polite."
Li Yao clasped his fists in a complicated mood and returned the salute, "Chang'an Town? I seem to have heard it mentioned by business travelers in the past, has your town made a fortune recently?"
Zhu Renxia said frankly: "To be honest, our Chang'an Town is a village, and its full name is Chang'an Town Village. Although it has reached the size of a town, it has not been recognized by the government, so our Chang'an Town is a village. I, the mayor I was just elected by the residents of the town, to distinguish myself from Li Zheng appointed by the government, so they called me the mayor."
"I see."
Li Yao pretended to have a sudden realization and called out, "Come here, prepare chopsticks and a stool for Mayor Zhu."
After a while, a maid brought in a round stool, a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, and cups and saucers.
Li Yao invited Zhu Renxia and Liu Gongfu to sit down together: "Now that the government's budget is tight, I have a little wine. I hope Mayor Zhu won't take offense."
"Your Majesty, the magistrate is too polite. I would rather be respectful than obey your orders."
Zhu Renxia lifted up his clothes and sat on the round stool that had just been moved. Li Yao and Liu Gongfu also took their seats, while Shiyelou Dongfang took the last seat.
After finishing a glass of wine, Li Yao asked: "Just now, Mayor Zhu said that your village in Chang'an Town has reached the size of a town. I wonder how many people there are?"
"Reporting to the prefect, our village in Chang'an currently has a total of 3,566 people, including men, women, old and young." Zhu Renxia put down his chopsticks and replied calmly.
"More than 3,500 people?"
Even though Li Yao had been in the officialdom for many years, he was surprised when he heard this, "A normal town can have more than a thousand people, but your Chang'an town actually has 3,500 people?"
Lou Dongfang was equally surprised and said: "As far as I know, Jinping County has a population of more than 10,000, but your Chang'an Town actually has three or four thousand people?"
"Exactly."
Zhu Renxia replied with a smile: "And it is increasing every day. When it is small, there are two or three households and more than a dozen people added a day. When it is large, there are more than ten households and fifty or sixty people added a day."
