In the thirty-first year of Qin Shi Huang, in the first half of the lunar month, although the weather was cold, it had not yet reached the level of snow, and the sky was not clear, in the county seat of Pei County, Surabaya County, a small official's mansion had been lit up, and the stables in the backyard also neighed, probably the servants were setting up chariots for the horses.

When the fish belly is exposed in the east, under the wooden plaque with the word "Xiao Zhai" written on it, the door is opened, and two horses stand out, one is dressed in black, wears a magpie tail crown, has a long beard, and a middle-aged official about forty years old is sitting in the middle of the public opinion. He was followed by two servants, plus an ox cart carrying gifts, and judging by this posture, he was going out to the feast.

But the carriage had just walked to the street, and next to Xiao's house, the family with "Cao Zhai" written on it, the door also creaked open, and a small official who was also dressed in black, wearing a samurai crown, and had a short beard, stopped the carriage and arched his hand to the person in the car:

"Brother Xiao is really early."

The officials in the car also got up solemnly and got out of the car to salute: "Brother Cao is not too late." ”

These two people, the person in the car is called Xiao He, who is the chief official of Pei County, who is in charge of the advance and retreat of local officials, and his status is second only to Ling, Cheng, and Wei. The person under the car is called Cao Shen, he is a prisoner in Pei County, specializing in judicial prison work.

Cao Shen said: "Today is the official's day off, but Brother Xiao went out so early, why do you have to go to Liu Ji's wedding?" ”

He seemed to like and hate Liu Ji at the same time, and scolded with a smile: "Liu Ji, a ranger in the past, is now fighting for food, not only has he made good luck, but he can actually marry the daughter of Duke Lu, and he can also let Brother Xiao deign to go to the banquet, what a big face!" ”

Xiao He said: "My home is in Fengyi, and I have been friends with Liu Ji for many years, since he personally visited me and invited me to be the person who marries the officiant, but it is not good not to go." ”

Everyone said that the daughter of the Lu family married the old bachelor Liu Ji, which was a flower inserted in dog dung, but Xiao He had his own ideas, whenever others asked him what he thought, Xiao He just said lightly: "Lu Gong does this, naturally there is a reason for Lu Gong." ”

Fengyi is dozens of miles west of Pei County, and if he has to travel for a day, Xiao He has to set off immediately, otherwise he will not be able to catch up with the wedding tomorrow evening.

Cao Shen stopped Xiao He, shook his head and said: "I also accepted the invitation of Liu Ji, and I originally wanted to go the same way with Brother Xiao, but today you and I, I'm afraid we won't be able to leave!" ”

Xiao Heqi said: "Why? ”

Cao Shen said: "When I was on duty in the county temple last night, the county monarch sent Changshi to inform him, saying that there was a feudal official who wanted to pass through Pei County and stay overnight, and you and I must be received by the county monarch and must not be absent!" ”

Pei County is located on the bank of Surabaya, down the river can go to Pengcheng, Donghai County, go to Qi, Lu, Liang and Song in the west, can be said to extend in all directions, there are often officials to come and go.

Officials at the county level can just let the pavilion receive them. However, if a county-level official passes by, the Pei County Commander will come forward to receive him warmly. Xiao He is not only the chief official, the right-hand man of the county order, but also the representative of the county's wealthy family, and every time he is entertained, he is naturally indispensable.

Xiao He frowned, although he was unwilling to break his promise, he couldn't save face from the county order, so he had to let the servants drive to Fengyi and tell Liu Ji that he might not arrive until tomorrow afternoon.

"Brother Xiao is going to rush there overnight after the entertainment?"

Cao Shen was surprised that Xiao He cared so much about Liu Ji, when Liu Ji went to serve, everyone gave three hundred dollars, but Xiao He sent five hundred, and now he is more willing to brave the cold wind to hurry.

Xiao He just smiled:

"Lao Tzu has clouds, the husband will not believe in the promise, and the more easy it will be. Although He is just a small official, he does not want to easily lose the foundation of the Tao. By the way, where did the feudal official you mentioned go to work, and what kind of official did he be? ”

Although Cao Shen has always regarded Xiao He as a role model, after all, he is slightly younger than Xiao He, and he has been a thief Cao, and he is a powerful person, so he said with his eyebrows fluttering: "Speaking of this person, it is a big name!" Brother Xiao still remembers, who are the people mentioned the most after those widowers who went to serve in Guanzhong and Saibei returned to Pei County last year? ”

The people of Pei County went to Xianyang and Shangjun to do hard labor, transferred grain, died ten, left ten, and only more than 30 people were brought back by Liu Ji, but Liu Ji, who usually talks about it, was not very willing to mention this matter this time. And the others can't care so much, the people they remember the most, except for Fusu, the son who left a good name among the people, are the three generals who have made meritorious contributions to patrol the streets.

Among them, the black man who was born as the head of Qian, is the most revered by the head of Qian......

Xiao He is very good at analysis, and the answers he gives are not far from ten.

Cao Shen clapped his palm: "It is this general Wei, it is said that he is the most trusted minister by the emperor, and now he has been appointed as the county guard of Jiaodong, and he is going to take up his post with pride!" ”

……

"From Xianyang to Jiaodong County, you should go through Sanchuan, go to Dongjun, Jibei, Linzi, all the way to Jimo, this Jiaodong Shou, why do you want to go far and go from my Pei County?"

At noon, the county magistrate of Pei County had already waited at the south gate of Pei County with officials of all sizes, but Cao Shen was still puzzled.

After Xiao He calculated in his heart, he said in a low voice: "I heard that this Wei County Shou is from Nanjun, and he should have returned home and came from Chen County or Jiujiang County, so he entered through the South Gate." Moreover, he will only stay for one day, and tomorrow he will go north to Xue County, and it seems that time is pressing......"

This is also in line with common sense, Cao Shen nodded, and admired Xiao He's heart as meticulous as a hair, no wonder he could be relied on by the county order.

Xiao He started as the secretary of the county order, "Wen is harmless", and is good at grammar and law affairs, not only knows the situation of Surabaya County and Pei County well, but also knows a little about other counties.

He knew that Jiaodong County was one of the four counties divided from the Qi State, with the sea in the east and north, Langya in the south, and Linzi in the west. Although it is the easternmost county of the empire, it has a large population, more than 100,000 households, and 780,000 mouths! Although it is not as good as Linzi, which is guarded by the general Wang Ben, it is also a large county, and its population is three times that of Beidi County!

The economy of Jiaodong is also good, there are mountains and seas, salt and iron are rich, it is the main production area of sea salt and fish in the Central Plains, but I heard that coastal thieves have bred recently, there is a lot of trouble, and the local wealthy family, Xiao He is in Pei County, and he has also heard of it.

"That's why the imperial court sent a decisive and decisive official to govern it......" Xiao He thought.

In this year, the news was blocked, although Xiao He and others did not know Heifu's performance in the Qin and Chu War, they knew some of Heifu's deeds from the mouth of the widow who went to serve in Guanzhong. Including the defeat of the Huns by him and Li Xin, the "warmth" to the soldiers and widowers in winter, and even the rumors that Heifu liked people with beautiful beards spread far and wide, and they were talked about.

In short, in the impression of Xiao He and Cao Shen, this is a capable official and close minister that they can't climb.

While thinking about it, the person sent to Shili Pavilion to wait came back breathlessly: "County Jun, Jiaodong County Guard, it's close to the south gate!" ”

"Stand up straight, stand straight!" Pei County Ling hurriedly asked the officials to tidy up their clothes and prepare the wine to catch the wind and wash the dust.

Although Jiaodong and Surabaya County are separated by hundreds of miles, and Nawei County can't be in charge of Pei County, there is no need to be so flattering, but Heifu is the emperor's favored and reused minister, maybe a single sentence can change the fate of county-level officials, Pei Ling dare not displease him.

After a while, dozens of knights appeared on the road, riding all the same Hexi horses, although they were wearing cloth clothes, but just looking at the sword hanging on their waists and the crossbow on their backs, they knew that they were from the army, and they were all raised eyebrows, which was probably the door of the Jiaodong County Guard.

The knights galloped to the city gates, and left and right, revealing the convoy behind them. The largest of them had a black canopy, and the barriers on both sides were painted red, which was more than two thousand or two thousand stones, and under the canopy, was a black-faced official dressed in dark clothes and wearing a crown of birds......

"The officials of Pei County, I have seen less Shangzao!"

Pei County Commander, Cheng, and Wei immediately greeted him and saluted him, but the Jiaodong County Guard only bowed his hand slightly.

After the car stopped for a while, it continued to drive into the city under the guidance of Pei County's order, but Heifu's eyes swept towards the Pei County officials on the side of the road. Even inadvertently, it fell on Xiao He, who was at the top of the officials' positions, but only glanced at it, smiled again, and continued to talk with Pei County, who was honored to board the car.

Xiao He, Cao Shen and other Cao Baishi officials lined up on both sides, bowed down to salute, and after the carriage and horses passed, Cao Shen raised his head and said in surprise: "If you are so young, you will build it for less, and it will be two thousand stones!?" ”

If he is not mistaken, this lieutenant county guard is only about thirty, and he is really ashamed to touch his big beard again.

If it is said that it is the second generation of a grandfather of the Shadow Grandfather, it would be fine, but this Wei County Shou really climbed up step by step from the head of Qian, how did he do it? Cao Shen recalled that when he was twenty or thirty years old, he was still in a daze, either practicing martial arts or cultivating literature, which was quite good, but he achieved nothing. After Qin destroyed Chu, although he became a Cao chief official, he was respectfully called "Cao Prison Peng" by the county people, but compared with the Jiaodong County Guard, it was a fart.

Xiao He was silent for a moment, and then said softly: "When you are poor, there are people, but there is no world, although you are virtuous. Why is it so difficult to have a life? In my opinion, Wei Junshou has such an achievement at a young age, not only because of his outstanding talent, but also because he has to meet the master at the right time. But as for encountering or not encountering, heaven, how can we compare with it? ”

This is Huang Lao's point of view, Xiao He's family is well-off, and he has learned a little, Cao Shen nodded, as if he understood or not, but at this time, a Wei Di accent sounded behind him.

"Poor? The county magistrate said it well. ”

When the two looked back, they saw a heroic young man dressed in cloth clothes and with a scarf wrapped around his head.

The scholar continued Xiao He's words and said: "Lu Wang is Zang Jianjin, seventy years old and slaughtering cattle in Chaoge, respecting him as the master of the Son of Heaven, and meeting Zhou Wenye. Guan Yiwu was restrained and bound, released from the weapon and became the princes, and met Qi Huan. Baili Xi fed five sheep, herded cattle for Bo, released cattle and became a court, and met Qin Muye. Uncle Sun Ao was in the salt-brine land on the seashore, and he came out to be Ling Yin, and he was also ...... in Chuzhuang"

"Junjun can have today, it is indeed the right time to meet something!"

He seemed to be talking about Hef, but also like he was talking about himself......

This person came with the Jiaodong County Guard car, but he got off at the city gate, planning to take a look around Peixian by himself, and happened to pace to the side and heard Xiao He's words.

Xiao He and Cao Shen didn't dare to slack off, and arched their hands at him: "Dare to ask Mr. ”

The scholar raised his coat: "In Xia Chenping, the gatekeeper of Nawei County, disturbing your land, is polite here!" ”

After speaking, he raised his head again, and his handsome face showed a harmless smile of humans and animals: "What the county official just said was Huang Lao's words, right?" It's also a coincidence, and it's good to be even, and Huang Lao is also! ”