Pinghu is in the east of Jiaxing, not half a day, the boat arrived, went ashore and walked more than two miles, then went to the post station to rest. There are their own post guards waiting to freshen up and eat. However, what puzzled Li Xianzhi was that such a small post station was guarded by twenty or thirty soldiers with bows and arrows.

After the meal, the postman came to collect the cups, plates, bowls and chopsticks, and served tea. Li Xianyi took out a book to read, while eating tea, just half a cup of food, he heard the sound of knocking on the door.

Jin Shun'er opened the door, and a small official who had not entered the stream bumped in, it was a pavilion post officer, kneeling at Li Xianzhi's feet, and said: "The little official is late to see the master, and please forgive me." ”

Li Xianzhi put down the scroll in his hand, got up and said: "Guicheng, please get up, I haven't worshiped the seal yet, and I don't deserve the title of 'master'."

Yi Cheng thanked him and got up. Li Xianzhi gave up his seat and ordered Jin Shun'er and Han Chu'er to watch the tea. Yi Cheng thanked him again, and then sat on the side to eat tea.

Li Xianzhi just remembered what he saw, so he asked, "Dare to ask Guicheng, but here is the important person who is staying here?" ”

Yi Cheng hurriedly put down the tea cup in his hand, and was about to get up to reply, but his hand slipped, knocked over the tea cup, and hurriedly wiped the tea on the table with the sleeve of his robe.

It turned out that the officialdom was strict at that time, and this post had been an official here for many years, and he was sent every day, and all kinds of officials had seen a lot, but he had never seen such a polite county master as Li Xianzhi, so he was flattered for a while, so he was so embarrassed.

Seeing Yi Cheng's reaction, Li Xianzhi couldn't help but smile dumbly, and said, "Don't be restrained, just sit and reply." ”

Yi Cheng confessed again and again, then sat down again, and said: "Pinghu is a coastal place, there are few officials to come and go, and today only the grandfather lives here. I don't know why the grandfather asked? ”

Li Xianzhi said: "When I came, I saw that the inside and outside of the pavilion were heavily guarded, so I just asked casually. ”

Yi Cheng said: "But this is the case, since Jiajing, the land of the two Zhejiang provinces has been poisoned by the plague, and the coastal area is dozens of miles, almost into white land. Relying on Qi Shaobao's training to resist the Japanese, he was able to save the people from fire and water. After that, after the generations of suppression, the Japanese are almost extinct, but in recent years, there are pirates from time to time into the county, robbing houses, abducting men and women, the soldiers and horses guarding the yamen have come here to suppress several times, but they have little effect, so they have to be prepared from time to time, and guard the important places in the county with heavy troops. ”

Li Xianzhi suddenly realized and said, "I see. ”

Early the next morning, Li Xianzhi got up early, had morning tea, and prepared to go to the county seat.

Yi Cheng sent out of the pavilion, as soon as Fang went out, he saw that two sedan chairs had fallen in front of the hall door, and there were two wooden signs hanging on the sedan chair, with the words "Pinghu County Ya" written on them.

At this time, a man wearing a green eight-rank official robe came down from a smaller sedan chair, and happily shook the folding fan in his hand. The old master saluted Li Xianzhi in front of the stairs and said, "The lower official has seen the master." ”

Li Xianzhi bowed slightly, regarded it as a reply, and asked, "Your Excellency?" ”

The man said with a smile: "If the official money is raised, the words are clear and thick, and he is the county of this county." ”

Li Xianzhi arched his hand and said: "Long admiration! Long admiration! ”

Qian Ruoju said with a smile on his face: "Mrs. Zhou sent me to welcome the new master to take office." He turned back to the sedan chair man and shouted, "Don't invite the new master to compete!" The sedan chair man hurriedly pressed the sedan chair. Qian Ruoju pointed to the big sedan chair and said, "Please get on the sedan chair." ”

Li Xianzhi hesitated for a moment and said: "There is a master of labor, but I am used to riding horses, but I am uncomfortable sitting in a sedan chair." As he spoke, he asked the post horse, "Can you lend me a stagecoach to ride?" ”

Yi Cheng said: "Yes, yes, yes." Then he ordered his men to bring a horse. After a while, the post guard led the horse, waited for Li Xian to get on the horse, and led him to the county office.

Seeing this, Qian Ruoju muttered: "It's really strange, there are officials who don't sit in a sedan chair." After speaking, he got into the sedan chair and ordered the sedan chair to be lifted.

In this way, Li Xianzhi rode a horse in front, followed by an empty sedan chair and a sedan chair of Qian County. In less than an hour, the sedan chair fell in front of the county yamen, and when Li Xinfang got off the sedan chair, he saw a group of people standing at the gate of the county yamen surrounded by an old man with gray hair. Seeing Li Xian get off the sedan chair, a group of people came up to greet him, and the old man took the lead in speaking: "My surname is Zhou, Your Excellency is the new grandfather who has come to take over, right?" ”

Li Xianzhi understood that this person was Zhou Zhixian, so he bowed and saluted, saying, "Lord Zhou." ”

Zhou Zhixian returned the salute lightly; "My body is no longer good, I have long hoped that the imperial court will send someone to take over, so that I can return to my hometown for a few years and have a peaceful birthday, and today I finally look forward to Lord Li."

Without waiting for Li Xianzhi's words, a lean person next to him rushed to answer, only to see him with a hooked nose, deep eye sockets, a lock of goatee, and a sound like a three-point tuberculosis, wearing a nine-grade official uniform. said: "Lord Zhou, do you want to ask Lord Li to speak first?" ”

Zhou Zhixian laughed and said, "I'm old, I forgot the etiquette for a while, it wasn't Mr. Miao who reminded me, and I almost neglected Lord Li." Lee-sama, please! Before he finished speaking, the tall, short, fat, and thin people behind him immediately gave way to the passage. Zhou Zhixian said: "Lord Li, please!" "After that, he should lead the way first and go to the yali.

After passing through the main hall, he came to the second hall, and Zhou Zhixian ordered someone to watch the tea, and after a cup of tea, a handyman came in, waved his hand and said: "Master Yu, everything is ready." ”

Zhou Zhixian waved his hand, and the handyman made another gesture and withdrew. Zhou Zhixian got up and said: "There is a famous chef in Huai'an in the house, who makes a good Huaiyang cuisine, and he has prepared some thin wine today, so he should be the right to pick up the wind for Lord Li." With that, he led him backwards. Li Xian first arrived, so he had to be a guest and follow him.

Turning around and coming to the back hall, a small corner door came out, and suddenly another world was in front of him. Here is a garden, the winding path in the garden is secluded, the pavilions are numerous, and the garden is full of strange flowers and flowers, rockeries and strange stones, just like a fairyland. Walked seventy or eighty steps, went up twenty or thirty steps, crossed a small wooden bridge, and came to the pavilion in the center of the lotus pond, and the plaque on the pavilion reads "Lotus Wind Pavilion" three big characters. At this time, it is the height of summer, the lotus flowers are blooming, the breeze is blowing, and the lotus fragrance is fragrant. Li Xian thought: "Presumably, this Lotus Wind Pavilion must be named after this." ”

In the pavilion, Qian Ruoju and the Miao slender man and a group of officials were already waiting. There is also a table full of delicacies on the round table, nothing more than stewed, stewed, simmered, cooked, steamed, roasted, fried, chicken, duck, goose, fish, pig, all kinds of vegetables and vegetables. Zhou Zhixian was introduced again, Qian Ruoju Li Xianzhi already knew that Miao Slender Ziquan was the master of the county. There are also a few teachings, instructors, six-room officials, etc., who greet Li Xianzhi one by one.

Then, Zhou Zhixian let Li Xianzhi sit as the chief, himself sat as the chairman, and the rest of the people sat down in order. Zhou Zhixian's face was slightly stunned, and he said: "Xinzhi County, why didn't Zhao Dianshi come?" ”

Master Miao hurriedly raised his voice and continued: "Only a farmer came to report the loss of the cattle that cultivated the field, and Zhao Dianshi took people to catch the thief." ”

Zhou Zhixian said: "Such a trivial matter, just send a few fast hands, although he Zhao Dianshi is not in the stream, he is also the official selected by the ministry, how can he always be so undisciplined." After that, he turned his face to Li Xianzhi and smiled and said, "Since he is not here, he doesn't care, serve the food first, and ask Master Li to use it." As he spoke, he slapped his face, and seven or eight maids had already rushed in, and brought up a plate of roasted pig's head, a plate of three sets of ducks, and then set up cups, chopsticks, bowls, and plates, poured wine, and stood behind him to serve.

Li Xianzhi roughly calculated, this table of delicious food costs at least two or three hundred taels of silver, even if he is longer than a huge rich family, he has never seen such a pomp, and he can't help but sigh secretly in his heart.

On that day, Li Xianzhi and the three of them were drinking in this lotus pavilion while enjoying the scenery, and it was not until dusk that they each returned with a little drunkenness.

The banquet was dispersed, and Li Xianzhi had just come out of the front hall to see Zhao Dianshi and a few thieves who had caught cattle and returned.

Zhao Dianshi paid homage at the foot of the steps, and after worshipping, he didn't speak, and walked straight away with the prisoner. It turns out that this Zhao Dian historical name Wenhui, the word is cautious, this is from the official eunuch family, but do not read the eight shares, only love to go to the horse and release the eagle, dabble in the military book, after the death of his parents, because he is not good at buying family property, the family road has fallen since then, in order to make a living, he joined the county government, and did this small official who did not enter the stream. is honest and arrogant, and he is not used to the flattery of officialdom, so he often disagrees with Shangguan, and when he sees Li Xianzhi, who is full of alcohol, he naturally has no good face.

However, Li Xianzhi is like this, and it is also a means of officialdom to welcome him, not out of his heart, and he is quite praised and appreciated for Zhao Wenhui's temperament. Because of this, Zhao Wenhui became one of the most important assistants under Li Xianzhi in the future, and Zhao Wenhui was also rich and wealthy because of Li Xianzhi. However, this is all later, so I will not press the table for the time being.

Besides, when the dinner was over, Li Xianzhi rested in the county office. The next morning, Li Xianzhi bathed and changed clothes, put on a seven-grade official uniform, and officially took over as the magistrate after paying homage to Yin. By noon, the handover of the warehouse file was completed and there was no major error.

After lunch, Zhou Zhixian said goodbye and left, and his family and wealth bought a total of three carts. Li Xianzhi, Qian Ruoju, Miao Quan and a group of county officials were sent to the Changting Pavilion outside the city. Before leaving, Zhou Zhixian called Li Xianzhi aside and said: "The old man is not talented, thanks to the son of heaven Long Encai has been a parent in Pinghu County for two terms, how can the old man be old and deaf, lest he lose the grace of the saint, fortunately, the two adults of Qian and Miao are quite powerful, and the county's affairs have relied on it for several years, so that they can be orderly today. ”

Li Xianzhi arched his hand and said: "There is Lord Lao Zhou who has bothered to teach, and the lower officials are grateful. Zhou Zhixian boarded the car and said goodbye to everyone. Li Xianzhi and the others returned to the yamen, and the next morning, they entered the yamen to inspect the matter.

The important affairs of a county are not only money valley and criminal name. Li Xianzhi ordered people to move out the account books of the money and grain and the prison files of the detainees, and read them carefully every day. Every three days, a notice is issued and a lawsuit is heard.

It didn't take long for him to be busy and dizzy, and he wanted to hand over the affairs to the officials below, but he didn't know the roots, for fear of being deceived. When there was nothing to be done, I suddenly remembered a person, and I couldn't help but be overjoyed, and I added my forehead with my hand, and said to myself: "I was busy for a while, how could I forget him, if he helped, how could I do it in a county." ”