Time flies, and more than ten days have passed unconsciously. It was the spring season of March in the forty-fifth year of Wanli. The merchants and gangs of Yulin exchanged tea in the official mansion one after another, set off to the south, and rushed to Hanzhong before the Qingming Dynasty to buy tea and come back, and trade with the Mongols for profit. Among these merchant gangs, the Li Mansion has been the largest in the past years, and this time is naturally no exception.

In the early morning of this day, Yang Xiucai packed his luggage early and went out with Li Mingshan and Li Bao'er father and son, but saw that fifty or sixty mule carts with double wheels and long carriages had gathered outside the gate of the house, which were noisy and noisy.

A sturdy man with a white face and a slight mustache in the middle flashed forward, bowed slightly to Li Mingshan and said, "Master Li, I am ready to stop, and we can set off."

Li Mingshan said: "This Mr. Yang is going back to his hometown, and along the way, please take care of Xiao Zhangtou."

Na Xiao turned his head back and said, "Master Li, don't worry, I will do my best." That's it! With that, he reflexively jumped on a high-headed horse with a red date, shook the whip in the air, drank a trumpet, and all the coachmen set off together with the cattle.

Li Baoer personally helped Yang Xiucai to get into a mule cart, stood under the car and bowed, "Teacher, take care all the way." Before the words fell, two lines of tears fell - they have been together day and night for nearly ten years, and once separated, how can they not be sad?

Yang Xiucai also had a sad look on his face, took Li Bao'er's hand and said: "After I leave, the son will never forget to study in the morning and evening, and seek to go to school.

Li Baoer responded with tears. Yang Xiucai said again: "There is a "Anthology" on the bookcase in the study, which I have worked hard to compile over the years, and there are dozens of Jinshi articles in high school, all of which have been approved with a red pen.

Li Baoer thanked him again. Yang Xiucai then ordered the handlebar to drive the car and followed the team.

Seeing that Yang Xiucai was leaving, Li Mingshan went back. Li Bao'er waited until he was out of sight before returning. When he returned to the room where Yang Xiucai lived, he saw a thick book on the bookcase. Flipping through it and taking a closer look, it is indeed a good article, and every word is beautiful, and I can't help but linger in it. Since then, I have been reading it every day.

said that after Yang Xiucai left, Li Baoer moved to that side room, except for changing the bed, bedding, and daily utensils, all the furnishings did not change.

One day, Li Baoer was reading in the study, and suddenly heard the words of the people in the courtyard, looked through the window, and saw his father walking from the courtyard to the main hall with a person. This person is about 30 years old, with a purple face and long beard, a burly figure, wearing a square scarf, a jade-colored straight embellished, a pair of foundation boots, walking with high steps, and speaking like a bell.

Li Bao'er recognized the man as the master of the governor's yamen, He Qixiang, whose character was Tai'an. This He Tai'an is a native of western Zhejiang, and his career is also very unsmooth, so he only barely entered school and got a show. I couldn't take a step forward, so I had to learn from many people who crossed the land to become staff in the government. After many years of travel, he was transferred to the account of Jin Zhongshi, the current governor of Yansui, who was in charge of money and food. The Li family is engaged in the business of tea, horses, salt and iron, and it is inevitable that they often deal with the government, and there are not a few people who are friends. This He Tai'an is one of them, and he is very close.

Li Mingshan let He Taian into the main hall, and the maid served fragrant tea. After finishing the tea, Li Mingshan spoke first: "He Ye has always been busy with official business, and he has not been allowed to meet several times, how can he come to our mansion today?"

He Tai'an said: "Don't hide it from Master Li, our governor Master Jin is diligent and tight, this has always been with me to follow him around, and I have to see everything about civil governance, military equipment, and transportation, and I have been busy for a whole month, and I only came back yesterday evening."

Li Mingshan said: "Yulin is one of the important towns on the nine sides, and it is naturally impossible to relax when it bears the heavy responsibility of defending the enemy and the country. ”

He Tai'an said: "Elder Li is not bad at all. No, as soon as Fang came back, he heard that Master Li had visited several times, and he was afraid that there was something important, so he came to visit him early in the morning. ”

Li Mingshan said: "It's not very important, it's just that the Shangtun grain of our mansion has been delivered, and the yamen has also issued a voucher, but seeing that it is time to produce salt, it has not been able to redeem the salt for a long time, so I want to ask Brother Tai'an to deal with it." ”

He Tai'an said: "The salt class has always been the lifeblood of the country's taxation, and it is naturally impossible to get it without the approval of the governor himself." Fortunately, the governor has already returned to the office, and he will be reminded a little when he goes back next, so that he will not make a fortune by mistake. ”

Li Mingshan said with a smile: "It's so good, Brother Lao Tai'an has bothered it." He Tai'an also smiled: "It's just a gesture." After that, the two looked at each other and laughed, and talked for a while, and the little servant brought the rice, inevitably steamed goose, bad duck, roast chicken, all kinds of vegetables and vegetables, and a plate of stewed rotten mutton. After a while, the dishes were served, and a plate of snow-white meat buns was served, as well as a jar of high-quality Shaoxing soju.

After preparing cups, plates, bowls and chopsticks, Li Mingshan invited He Taian to sit at the table. This He Tai'an was originally a Yue person, and when he saw Shaoxing spirits, he naturally couldn't hold it, he drank a few glasses, and he was drunk and worried, and he feasted on a leg of mutton with both hands.

Li Mingshan ordered Li Baoer to come out to toast again. Bao'er poured a full cup, offered it with both hands, and said, "Uncle Shi, please drink this cup full." ”

He Tai'an put down the leg of mutton, stretched out a pair of oily hands to take the wine glass, raised his neck and drank it all, opened a pair of drunken eyes and looked at it: "It turned out to be a virtuous deed." ”

As he spoke, he pulled over a stool and asked Li Bao'er to sit. Li Bao'er was honestly frightened, took a step back and said: "The young and the old are orderly, and the nephew doesn't dare to make a mistake." ”

He Tai'an said drunkly: "But you might as well sit down, what a vain courtesy!" Li Baoer resigned in every possible way because her father was present. He Tai'an snorted, stopped talking, drank and ate by himself, and Li Bao'er poured wine and held the spoon freely.

After a long time, He Tai'an asked again: "Why is Mr. Yang missing?" ”

Li Mingshan said: "Mr. Yang is old, he resigned a few days ago and returned to his hometown. ”

He Tai'an said again: "Without Mr., wouldn't the virtuous deeds be wasted?" ”

Li Mingshan said: "I haven't had time to invite another gentleman yet." ”

He Tai'an asked Li Bao'er again: "Will the article be written?" Li Bao'er said: "It's not good to do something indiscriminately." ”

He Tai'an said: "Take a few articles and I'll take a look, if it works, I'll take it and read it with the governor." The governor is a very talented person, if you have blue eyes on your article, you will naturally be promoted, I don't know how many good gentlemen are stronger. ”

When Li Bao'er heard this, she knew that it was true, and hurriedly rushed back to the room, turned out the proud works she had made on weekdays, selected a few articles and a few trial poems, and ran back to the main hall to show He Tai'an.

He Tai'an took the articles and poems handed over by Li Bao'er, opened his drunken eyes and hurriedly read them, and said: "There are some appearances, I took them back and read them carefully, and then showed them to the governor." ”

Li Baoer hurriedly thanked him. He Tai'an put a few pages of manuscript in his sleeve, got up and left the table, and was about to take his leave. Li Mingshan couldn't hold back, so he beckoned someone to come.

After a while, the housekeeper Li Fang brought four small servants in, carrying two small boxes.

When He Tai'an saw it, he asked, "What does Master Li mean by this?" ”

Li Mingshan said: "The mundane things in the house are too hard and troublesome, and a little politeness is not a respect." ”

Before he finished speaking, the little guy opened the lid of the box. In one box there were two jars of Shaoxing soju, and in the other box there were ten large silver ingots of fifty taels neatly stacked.

He Tai'an shook his body and bent down to look, and said with a smile: "Old Master Li is too outside." ”

As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and lifted the two jars of soju one by one and held them in his arms, and said, "I will accept these two jars of good wine, and this silver will be exempted." ”

With that, he laughed and walked out the door. Li Mingshan and Li Bao'er, father and son, couldn't keep it, so they hurriedly followed and sent it out. There is already a small sedan chair waiting outside the gate, and a pair of lanterns with the words "Governor Yamen" are hung on the sedan chair.

He Tai'an got into the sedan chair, arched his hand outward, said "farewell", and urged the sedan chair man to get up and go to the governor's office.

Li Mingshan was in a hurry when he saw him going, so he had to order a steward to bring someone to send the silver directly to Hefu.

But it was said that when He Tai'an arrived at the governor's office, the door greeted him and asked, "Where did Master He get drunk here?"

He Tai'an didn't answer, but asked, "Is the governor here?"

Menzi replied, "I am meeting guests in the main hall."

He Tai'an asked, "What kind of guests will be?"

Menzi said: "The chief soldier is coming."

He Tai'an said "I know", and then ordered the sedan chair man to carry the sedan chair around the corner and go back to his apartment. When he arrived at the door, He Tai'an got off the sedan chair, took out a few coins and broken silver and sent the sedan chair driver. Staggered to enter the door, and the person who sent the silver from the Li Mansion also arrived, but He Taian couldn't, so he had to accept it.

At this time, a small servant in the courtyard came out, hurriedly took the wine jar in his arms, and helped him back to the house to rest. When I woke up and freshened up, it was dusk.

The little servant served fragrant tea and snacks, He Tai'an was eating, and suddenly remembered Li Bao'er's poems, so he took them out of his sleeve and read them carefully. After reading it, I felt that it was indeed good, so I pushed the teacup, took the poem and went out to the office to see Governor Jin.

When the governor returned from his inspection, he called all the civil and military officials under him to meet him early in the morning. First met with civil officials such as the Senate and the Imperial History, and then met with a group of military attachés such as the general army, the generals, the guerrillas, and the garrison. He told the officials about all the inappropriate things he saw during the inspection, and discussed the countermeasures in detail, and ordered them to do so.

All the officers took orders and went. Governor Jin sent away the civil and military officials, only ate a few pieces of snacks and a cup of fragrant tea, and then went to review the official documents again.

When He Tai'an came to see him, he had not yet finished approving it, and the messenger led him to the side hall to serve tea and wait. He Tai'an waited while eating tea.

After a long time, Governor Jin finished his official business and sent a small servant to invite He Tai'an to see him. He Tai'an followed the little servant out of the side hall, turned to the study, entered the door, and knelt down to bow.

Governor Jin ordered him to get up and sit down, and the little servant brought tea, and after a cup of tea, Governor Jin asked, "Mr. He, does he have something important?" ”

He Tai'an said: "There has never been anything important. The villain met a friend today, read the article of his son-in-law, and thought it was very good. The villain knows that Lord Futai has always loved talents, so he takes a look. As he spoke, he took out Li Bao'er's poems from his sleeve.

It turned out that the governor of Jin had a habit that whenever he went to be an official, he would inevitably persuade those who were studying to meet and give advice if they were well learned. Hearing He Tai'an say this, he couldn't help but be curious, took the manuscript and read it, and saw that it was very good, so he asked, "Who is the writer?"

He Tai'an replied: "It is the son of Li Mingshan, the number one wealthy merchant in the city."

Governor Jin said, "Is that the one named Li Zhen?"

He Tai'an said: "Exactly."

Governor Jin said: "This Li Zhen has also heard of it, and he often helps the poor, but he is a rich and benevolent person. ”

He Tai'an said: "What Lord Futai said is true, he is also a scholar, although he has no merit and fame, there is always the virtue of a scholar." ”

Governor Jin said again: "In this way, this son of the Li family must also be a talent."

He Tai'an said: "His knowledge and character are especially better than his father's."

Governor Jin said: "In this way, Ben Fu wants to see him." These days are busy with official business, and he can't be idle, so Mr. He has a hand, and sends someone to Li Mansion, calling Li Gongzi to come to the government office in three days. ”

He Tai'an promised to go. Early the next morning, with the post of the governor's yamen, he sent the officials to the Li Mansion, and sealed the 1,000 salt guides approved by the governor. The official arrived at the Li Mansion and handed over the post.

Seeing that it was the governor Yamen, Menzi didn't dare to slack off, so he took the post and rushed in to report to the housekeeper Li Fang. Li Fang ordered the men to let the servants into the duty room to watch the tea, and he hurriedly came to see Li Mingshan with a post.

At this time, Li Mingshan was sitting in the study, Li Fang came in, handed over the post, and said, "Master, the governor sent someone from the yamen."

Li Mingshan hurriedly took it, opened it and looked at it, and saw that there were a lot of praises for Li Fu and his daily righteous deeds, and wrote that the governor read Li Baoer's poems and texts, and deeply appreciated his talent, and wanted to inspect it in person.

Li Mingshan saw it, his heart was overjoyed, and he opened another brown paper envelope, and saw that it was the salt introduction he had been looking forward to for a long time, and he was even more happy, and said with a smile: "This must be the fruit of Mr. He's great help." Then I thought, "In this case, I should make a good backup and thank you for the generous gifts." He instructed Li Fangdao: "Go and prepare a gift, prepare two copies, one should be thick, and send it to the governor; The other copy can't be thin, and it will be given to Mr. He. ”

Li Fang pondered for a moment and went to handle it himself. Li Fangfang left, and then instructed the little servant: "Go and invite the son." The little guy also took the order.