After persuading Zhang Rui to retire, Zhang Chengsong went to arrange the bandits to be imprisoned, and then returned to the office study in the inner hall of the Yamen.

In front of the office study, Zhang Chengsong saw Yuan Meide, who had been removed from the official clothes at this time, and was waiting for him there. So, he hurriedly went up and asked:

"My lord! Why are you standing here? ”

Yuan Meide heard the sound and turned around.

At this time, I saw Zhang Chengsong handing over the five hundred taels of silver tickets given by Zhang Rui before. Yuan Meide silently took the silver ticket and skillfully put it in his sleeve.

After all, the prefect's expenses are not small, and there are not many things that can be made in such a poor and remote place, so five hundred taels is also a good income.

Yuan Meide was very satisfied and said to Zhang Chengsong: "Master Zhang is polite, and Steward Sun will give you twenty taels of silver when you go back." ”

"The student would like to thank you." Zhang Chengsong hurriedly thanked him. He didn't expect that Yuan Meide would be so generous this time.

"Hmm." Yuan Meide was very happy when he heard this. secretly rejoiced in his heart: "Sure enough, it is much easier to deal with smart and sensible people." ”

"What did that stupid mud-legged guy just want to catch up with?"

"Your Excellency, he wants your lord to reward him with some money or an official position." As he spoke, Zhang Chengsong couldn't help but have a silly smile on his face that mocked Zhang Rui.

After Yuan Meide heard Zhang Chengsong's words, he couldn't help but despise Zhang Rui in his heart, and scolded with a smile:

"This mud leg is stupid, do you think he is really stunned or stupid? Want a reward? Looking for a half-official position? The fact that the official did not take him to prison on the spot was the greatest reward for him. But he still seems to have some money, do you know where he came from? ”

"Just now, the student has already found those bandit leaders to understand clearly, he calls himself Zhang Rui, also known as Zhang Liu, and his subordinates call him the sixth brother." Zhang Chengsong replied

The bandits said that they and the others were betrayed by the traitors below, and they didn't pay attention when they returned to the cottage to let him be ambushed. He had about fifty or sixty men in his hands, with bows and arrows, and that's why they were captured. ”

After listening to Zhang Chengsong's statement, Yuan Meide sighed secretly: "There are actually fifty or sixty subordinates, no wonder they dare to look at this official." Fortunately, he didn't anger him on the spot, otherwise his stunned temperament would have hurt him, and the gains would outweigh the losses. ”

"Then you know how he has so many men and money?" Yuan Meide continued to ask

"I don't know why there are so many men, but the silver was probably taken from the bandits. I heard from the bandit leaders that he should have 80,000 taels of silver in his hands. And he likes to spend money everywhere, especially like to invite people to dinner and give silver. Zhang Chengsong said that when he sent silver everywhere, he looked regretful.

"Eighty thousand taels of silver?" Yuan Meide was very enthusiastic when he heard it, he didn't expect this turtle to be so shabby and so rich. When I thought that this guy would write such a statement to Zhang Chengsong for five hundred taels, my heart hurt very much.

It seems that he has never seen the world, does not understand the benefits of silver, and has great wealth in his hands but does not know how to use it.

If you have some money, when the time comes, you can ventilate and walk around. It is impossible to say that it can be transferred to a prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River for a job, which is a hundred or a thousand times better than that in this poor and remote place. In this poor place, I slept all day long, and I couldn't get anything if I wanted to, I was really fed up.

So, Yuan Meide secretly thought in his heart: "Zhang Rui, although this official hates you to the core, but for the sake of the silver in your hand, I will forgive you for the time being." Don't you want a reward! The official will give you a half-official position and see if you will be grateful. ”

"Master Zhang, that's stupid... Didn't Zhang Rui want a half-official position? Then the official will find a way to give him a half-official position, and when the time comes, you will find a way to get all his money. ”

"Yes, sir." Zhang Chengsong replied

"Hmm... You go get busy first! The official is on official business. With that, Yuan Meide walked to the rest place in the inner courtyard as if nothing had happened.

……

After Zhang Rui and the others came out of the yamen, they wandered around the streets of Wuzhou Mansion with nothing to do.

Although Wuzhou Mansion cannot be compared with Guangzhou Mansion, it is definitely not comparable to the towns or counties around Datong Village.

The wide streets (in the eyes of the team members) are densely populated with shops of all kinds.

Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, tea shop, ready-to-wear cloth village, restaurant, carriage and horse handlebar shop, dart board, gold and silver jewelry shop, casino green building, weapon blacksmith shop... There are all kinds of them.

The "bustling" streets saw that the sword and shield soldiers were stunned for a moment, and their eyes couldn't stop watching.

At this time, although the sword and shield soldiers felt the bustling of the street, they were a little afraid. I felt that I was a little unaccustomed, as if I was out of place, and I only felt a sense of security when I followed Zhang Rui closely.

In their opinion, as long as Zhang Rui is there, there is no need to worry about the sky falling, because the sixth brother will definitely help them solve the problem.

"Everyone, you're hungry. We went to dinner together. Zhang Rui said to the people behind him

"Fortunately, sixth brother, it's probably not cheap to eat here! Otherwise, it will be much more cost-effective for us to eat in other places. ”

…

Everyone persuaded one after another

"It's okay, it's rare for everyone to come to the state capital. Everyone should eat this meal with me. Zhang Rui continued to say to everyone

"Although the sixth brother said so, I still don't think it's worth it..."

……

Everyone is still uncomfortable in their hearts, and this kind of discomfort contains inferiority. They felt that they could wait outside for Zhang Rui to come out after eating, and they didn't go into the restaurant to eat, for fear that others would say that they were waiting for the buns.

…

In the end, under Zhang Rui's "insistence", all the bandit teams followed Zhang Rui into a restaurant called "Tianxianglou".

The shopkeeper was very nervous when he saw more than 20 people with steel knives in his hands, but he couldn't talk about being afraid, after all, this is the inner city of Wuzhou Prefecture, and there is usually no direct trouble without opening his eyes.

Although it was a visitor, the shopkeeper looked at Zhang Rui and the others and did not look like rich and noble people, so he despised them. And this group of bandit members who are not afraid of fighting will be despised by the shopkeeper and can't raise their heads.

Zhang Rui taught the shopkeeper a hard lesson, and took out a big ingot of silver. Only then did the bandit team members raise their heads one after another, and followed Zhang Ruihu to eat and drink in front of the whole table of food.

…

Coming out of the "Tianxiang Building", bypassing the "prosperous" inner city of the state capital, it is a characteristic outer street.

This is the place where the common people and the rich meet, and most of the black trades, human sales, etc. are on this street.

Zhang Rui and others walked all the way, and the full street was full of children and even women with straws on their heads.

One by one, they were yellow and thin, and they stood there listlessly and numbly. Some land scoundrels and rich sons are wantonly teasing and tricking some people who sell their children, daughters and wives, and some rich housekeepers come to buy people as slaves.

Passing by here, I looked at these poor people who were emaciated and had to starve here. The members of the bandit team immediately felt lucky, especially some of the people who had eaten very well and burped just now.

"If it weren't for the sixth brother, I can't say that my own family might be like this this year! Can you still eat like you can eat now? ”

When passing by some children who were crying and hungry to eat, Zhang Rui stopped. Zhang Rui thought that his heart was ruthless enough, but it seemed that it was still not enough.

The members of the bandit team stopped behind Zhang Rui one after another, looking at the children who were crying and shouting that they were hungry, they were very sad, and remembered that they had never cried and been hungry at home before?

The seven women even burst into tears, and felt guilty in their hearts. I can't help but think that the meal I and the others just ate is really terrible, if that meal is replaced with buns, I don't know how many of these children can be fed.

"Sixth brother, what's wrong?" A member of the bandit team looked at Zhang Rui who stopped, and asked

"Second team, go buy all the steamed buns nearby. A group of people who are optimistic about the sale of sons and daughters and wives here, go and tell them, I will treat them to a meal. Don't let other people in and take advantage of it. Zhang Rui said to the bandit team members beside him

"Okay."

"Sixth brother, don't worry... I'm bullish on them. ”

The members of the bandit suppression team were enthusiastic at once, and they replied one after another.

"Sure enough, the sixth brother just can't see us poor people suffering."

"That, Sixth Brother, we want to help too, okay?" The women said one after another

"Go ahead!"