The guard pushed open the door, invited Li Xiucai and the two into the house, saluted Bai Sheng and Helian Yanran respectfully and withdrew.

When Li Xiucai entered the door, he quickly raised his eyes and glanced at Bai Sheng and Helian Yanran, and quickly lowered his head, his face was slightly red, and he couldn't tell whether he was shy or annoyed. Bai Sheng knew that he had just heard what he had deliberately said to him outside.

"I don't know what the son's summons order?" Zhao Jun said with a very respectful attitude. He was convinced that these people were no ordinary businessmen, and that was just a cover-up. But the appearance and bearing of these two people are no longer something that ordinary rich people can raise, coupled with the palm thunder that this little girl took out casually, and the seemingly ordinary servants who are all good at martial arts, Zhao Junbao only felt a headache, and he really couldn't tell what kind of character he almost offended.

Bai Sheng saw the vigilance and uneasiness in Zhao Junbao's eyes, and smiled slightly, he still looked like he was a bit of a brain, and he should be able to get some useful information from him.

"Why did you two stop the homeless people from stealing food today? Isn't it good to be able to fill your stomach and live?" asked the changing voice a little lazily.

"Reading the books of sages, how can you do such illegal things, how is this kind of behavior different from reckless bandits?" Li Xiucai shook off his show, quite a bit righteous and awe-inspiring, "robbing others of rice and grain to fill their stomachs, such a meal is not clean, how can you swallow it?"

It's a backbone, but it's still a sour talent. Bai Sheng glanced at him and asked, "I heard them call you 'Xiucai', but you have a meritorious reputation?"

Li Xiucai's eyes darkened, and his voice lowered: "What about fame? When the year is good, people in the village rush to come to the village to ask for teaching, and bring their children to beg for enlightenment and marriage...... All kinds of people can't wait to step on the threshold of my house, and they are all flattering and pleasing one by one, and they almost want to lift people to the sky. But who would have thought that there would be a flood, and everyone was too busy to take care of themselves. I couldn't lift my hands, I couldn't carry my shoulders, and I didn't have much courage, so I was so frightened that my legs didn't obey the call, or my parents in their sixties dragged me to escape with the villagers and pick up a life. The old father fell ill halfway and was taken in by Yonghui County for treatment, and I don't know what happened now and when the family will be reunited. Xiucai's fame can't even be exchanged for a piece of dry food that can fill his stomach at this time. Oh, it's useless to be a scholar, I'm really right. Originally, I was thinking that I would take another exam this year. This man-eating flood, it is difficult to survive, and it doesn't matter what fame is or not. ”

Bai Sheng let him feel sorry for himself, and looked at Zhao Junbao again: "Are you from the army? You also served as a centurion? Which general served under it?"

"If you go back to Gongzi, you used to be a small centurion in General Dingyuan's team, but it was five or six years ago, old Huang Li. Zhao Junbao replied honestly.

"Are those young people who call you 'big brother' all the soldiers under you before?"

"They were all played in the same village from childhood to adulthood, I was a few years older than them, I took care of them since I was a child, and then I joined the army together, I became a centurion, they were all in my team, we all killed the enemy together, and then returned home together. ”

"Since you have become a centurion and prove that you have this strength, why don't you stay in the army and work hard to reach a higher level? Bai Sheng said half-truthfully. He did not believe that those who joined the army did not have such ambitions.

Zhao Junbao sighed: "Who has never had such a big dream in the Spring and Autumn Festival, but it is not easy to do it." This centurion title was earned in exchange for a wound and a half-life. In the army, there are many poor people who have neither money nor backing, and there is no money to dredge and dot up, and there is no official support, so it is really difficult to get out of the way. What is the use of having an empty ambition to serve the country? I can only obey the orders of those incompetent people who have made the money go away, and let them drive the bloodshed and sacrifice in vain, which is really embarrassing. ”

Bai Sheng was silent, and then asked, "You are all from Ze County, Anhui Province?"

The two nodded yes.

"Zexian County was the first place to experience flooding. Did this flood really come without warning? The embankment burst at once, and no one noticed anything wrong?" Bai Sheng sat down, casual and lazy, but it was pleasing to the eye.

"It's not without signs. Li Xiucai pondered the words while recalling, "There is an experienced old river worker who has built a dam all his life. Before the flood occurred, the old man noticed that something was wrong, and reported to the officials more than once, saying that they had to repair the embankment as soon as possible, otherwise they might burst the embankment. The officials kept saying that he was talking nonsense and drove him back to his home. Seeing that they didn't pay attention to it, the old man went to the county government in a fit of anger to beat the drum and voice his grievances. The county magistrate was promoted, but he was sentenced to ten boards. The family took him back and asked a doctor to treat his injuries. The incident spread quickly, and with this lesson from the past, no one dared to mention the word flood again. ”

"It is true. At that time, there was a lot of uproar, and everyone in Zexian County knew about it. Zhao Junbao agreed.

Bai Sheng's brows furrowed when he heard this: "How did the Zexian county order deal with the floods?

"Help the victims?" Zhao Junbao sneered as if he had heard a big joke, and said, "How can the county master have that idle time? His old man fled for his life with gold and silver and beautiful concubines and young sons, and he didn't even care about the old mother and wife of Gaotang, so where did he have time to care about the lives of the victims? After the flood, his mother and his wife were so swollen that the water was swollen when they were fished up from Linxian. ”

"Is that the case?" Bai Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly, and muttered, this is the truth in the report, "Zexian County Ling loves the people like a son, and when the flood occurs, he is dedicated to helping the victims and has no time to take care of his family, resulting in the death of both his wife and the old mother". His father wanted to reward him, and the decree was carefully stored in the box in his bag. But it turned out that the court wanted to praise such shameless people, wolf-hearted, dog-hearted, and inferior. Well, that's great!

Li Xiucai saw that his face was pale, and thought that he didn't believe it, and said: "This matter is true. Many people have seen the county magistrate get into the carriage and hurriedly escape from the city, and in a panic, a burden rolled down from the carriage, scattering gold, silver and jewelry, and his concubine tried to get out of the carriage to pick it up, but finally gave up for fear of being flooded. ”

Bai Sheng was furious when he heard this, but he didn't show anything on his face, and asked, "You came all the way from Zexian, and there was no place to rest along the way?"