Back in Hai'an, the sun has set.

Fang Shimei didn't dare to delay Han Xiufeng's major event, he neither worshiped the land, nor worshipped the Yimen, and the City God's Temple didn't have the time to go, so he followed up the yamen hall of the inspection department, and took over the seal of the Hai'an Inspection Department from Han Xiufeng.

As soon as Dean Gu, Wang Jiansheng, Yang Caizhu and the pawnshop shopkeeper Xie and others sat down in the lobby, Li Zhiyong, the supervisor of the Baimi regiment, and Yu Qinghuai, the supervisor of the Qutang regiment, arrived with five or six squires from Baimi and Qutang.

Although Fang Shimei had already taken office, he did not dare to sit on the head, but sat on the right side of the public case.

Han Xiufeng exchanged a few words with everyone, and was about to get down to business, but the big head who hadn't interjected just now couldn't help but bring a big paper bag.

"I know, you go down first," Han Xiufeng took the paper bag, raised his head and ordered: "Big head, hurry up and prepare two tables of banquets, Zhang Luo is good to come and say." ”

"Okay, I'll go."

"Young master, I'll go too."

"Okay." Han Xiufeng nodded, then turned around and said apologetically: "Everyone, wait, please have tea, there are a few letters from the capital, Xiufeng will see which adult sent them first." ”

"Master Han, look first, we're not in a hurry."

"yes, we're not in a hurry."

Dean Gu even sighed: "This is a chaotic situation, and Jingxin is becoming more and more difficult to get through. ”

Although the shopkeeper Xie of the pawnshop was rich, he was not a gentry, and he was really flattered to be invited to the yamen to sit in the lobby with Dean Gu and other gentry. Seeing that Master Han, who was soon the same as the state, looked at the letter, he couldn't help but turn sideways and said: "Dean Gu, Master Wang, Master Han read these letters were given to me by someone from Taizhou Tongbao Qianzhuang, let me give them to Master Han again." ”

"And here's the thing!" Dean Gu was taken aback.

"What's so strange about this, I heard the person who gave it to me say that this big bag of letters was sent from the Shanxi big ticket number 'Rishengchang' Beijing branch to the 'Rishengchang' Yangzhou branch, 'Rishengchang' has no semicolon in Taizhou, but there is a relationship with our Taizhou Tongbao Money, Tongbao Money, and the trumpet you always know, so Wu shopkeeper entrusted someone to give it to me, and asked me to transfer it to Master Han."

"So if Master Han wants to reply to the letter, he can also give you the letter?"

"It's nature."

……

They were chatting, and Han Xiufeng was almost there.

There are a total of nine letters, one of which is from Pan Er's family, one is sent by his father-in-law, four are sent by Ji Yunfei, the review of the Hanlin Academy, He Heng, the secretary of the cabinet, Director Zhang of the Provincial Pavilion and the treasurer Wen of the Chongqing Guild Hall, and three are sent by Director Zhang to another Sichuan fellow countryman.

Although he didn't have the time to take a closer look, there were two things that surprised Han Xiufeng.

When he first went to the capital the year before last, Second Master Fei mentioned that there was a fellow villager in Chongqing who was born as a donor, and he returned to his hometown after walking in the Criminal Department for a while. Ji Yunfei said in the letter that in October last year, the fellow villager surnamed Liu and his name went to the capital again, spent some money, and with the help of Director Zhang of the Provincial Pavilion, he was distributed to the Criminal Department to walk, and now lives in the guild hall.

Then Director Zhang said in the letter that there was a person named Xue Huan in Xingwen County, Xuzhou Prefecture, and the county governor of Jinshan, Jiangsu, who was elected by Daoguang in the 29th year, seemed to have been dismissed because he couldn't bear to always levy grain and increase consumption, and he didn't know what was going on now, anyway, he hadn't sent a letter to his family for a long time, and his family didn't feel at ease to send the letter to the provincial pavilion. Let me help inquire, and if I can find out, I will help bring him the three letters.

"Brother Fang, are you familiar with Jinshan County?" Han Xiufeng put down the letter and asked.

Fang Shimei was stunned, hurriedly put down the teacup and said: "Brother Han, I am really not familiar with Jinshan, I am not afraid of my brother's jokes, there are so many states and counties in Jiangsu, I am familiar with Jiangning and Taizhou." ”

"It's nothing if I'm not familiar, I just asked casually."

Han Xiufeng didn't want to delay his work any longer, so he immediately got down to business.

First tell everyone about the thief's feelings, the people and even the gentry under the foolish rule of the officials are the same set of rhetoric, and they have been talking for nearly half an hour, almost the same as Li Changjing said to the gentry there in the east of the city, the only difference is that he did not persuade the gentry to donate money, and asked Dean Gu and other gentry to help Fang Shimei as a guarantee, and asked the shopkeeper Xie to borrow 4,000 taels of silver to Fang Shimei for turnover.

If it is a peaceful year, if it is the state and county main hall that wants to borrow silver, the shopkeeper Xie will not have a second word, and there is no need for others to guarantee it. But now it's not peaceful today, and the one who wants to borrow the silver is only a nine-product inspection, and it's also acting, Xie Shopkeeper doesn't want to waste the money, and I don't know how to reply for a while.

Although he knew that the reason why Fang Shimei borrowed this silver was not only to make a deal with Old Ghost Xu, but also for the sake of these gentry here, Dean Gu was still unwilling to be this guarantor, after all, donating this kind of thing is all voluntary, no matter how big your official is, I am willing to donate if you don't want me.

Dean Gu and Wang Jiansheng were about to speak, when they suddenly found that Han Xiufeng made a look, thinking that Han Xiufeng would never pit a big guy, Dean Gu immediately smiled and said: "Shopkeeper Xie, Master Han After all, Master Fang borrowed this money not for himself, but for our people in Hai'an!" This silver must be borrowed, there are not so many big guys on the counter to help find a way to raise it, if Master Fang can't pay it back, let the next inspection master pay it back, after all, this is the deficit of the yamen, and it can't be all counted on Master Fang. ”

"Dean Gu, I know that Master Fang is for our good, but what if the next inspection master doesn't recognize it?"

Fang Shimei felt that Dean Gu's words were reasonable, and thought to himself how could the deficit of the yamen be counted on him, so he couldn't help but take out the official seal and said, "If he doesn't recognize me, he won't hand over the seal!" ”

"Did you hear that, Master Fang said everything about this, and besides, we can all help Master Fang as a guarantee, if the next inspection master doesn't recognize it, we will help Master Fang pay it back!"

"Dean Gu, you can say that."

"A gentleman's word, the horse is difficult to chase!"

"Then I have to set up an IOU, and then a letter of guarantee, and I have to bother you to sign and sign the letter of guarantee."

"This is natural, and my brother has to settle accounts."

"Okay, then that's it." Seeing Pan Er walking in, Han Xiufeng got up and said, "Everyone, the banquet should be ready, presumably you are all hungry, and you are tired of moving to the flower hall, let's talk while eating." ”

"Master Han, I'll bother you later?"

"I'm a person, I can't talk about bothering, Dean Gu, Brother Fang, please."

……

These gentry in Hai'an, Qutang and Baimi are all Han Xiufeng's first look, and then thinking that Han Xiufeng has only been inspecting for more than a month to have this prestige, Fang Shimei is very envious. For Dean Gu and other gentry, he Fang Shimei is also a patrol master anyway, so he naturally has to treat each other politely, and everyone toasts frequently, and after a few laps, Fang Shimei was drunk.

Han Xiufeng is no longer a Haian inspector, so naturally he will no longer live in the Yamen of the Inspection Division.

As soon as he finished eating, he asked Pan Er, Datou and others to pack up their things and move to the Baojia Bureau, planning to wait until tomorrow morning to see Han Chen and then lead the third regiment to move to Jiangyan.

Dean Gu was not drunk, and Wang Jiansheng and the others were not guilty, so they followed them all the way to the Baojia Bureau, and as soon as they entered the hall of the Baojia Bureau, they asked eagerly: "Master Han, who is the one who paid for the four thousand taels of silver and the five hundred stone rice?" ”

"Of course it's a big guy, you haven't seen Old Ghost Xu, if you do, you will understand his power. If you really want to resist the donation, Fang Shimei's inspection can only be done for ten days and a half at most, and when the inspection is changed, Fang Shimei will not be so easy to talk to. Han Xiufeng said helplessly.

"If the surnamed Xu dares to force donations, he is not afraid that we will go to Yangzhou Mansion to file a complaint?"

"He is really not afraid, you must know that now is not as good as before, in order to defend Taizhou, he even bets the lives of the whole family, as long as it is to prevent bandits, he Xu Lao Ghost will not blame the court no matter what he does now."

"Cool officer!"

"Dean Gu, it's useless to say this now, but he doesn't want to take this silver and grain away from us like this." Han Xiufeng beckoned everyone to sit down, and said with a smile: "Xu Lequn, you must remember that the turtle son actually donated a positive five-grade top, ran to the old ghost Xu to yin me, and also found a helper to raise food and salary, but as soon as he came out of the state office, he was scared away by me and Second Young Master Zhang." ”

"That salt merchant in Fuyashi?" Wang Jiansheng subconsciously.

"Exactly."

"But what does he have to do with the four thousand silver and the five hundred stones?"

"The relationship is big, others have run away, where does the food and salary of the Xiangyong Camp come from? I brought the three regiments of Xiangyong to Jiangyan, Master Li and Second Young Master Zhang are recruiting Xiangyong, what are the numbers of people eating and drinking, and where are the newly recruited weapons coming from? ”

Dean Gu reacted suddenly, and couldn't help but smile: "Let Fang Shimei send the money and grain to Taizhou, and you and Second Young Master Zhang will intercept the money and grain when you pass through Jiangyan?" ”

"Last year's floods in northern Jiangsu and Shandong, in order to provide disaster relief, local officials even intercepted grain, and now we are training the township to prevent bandits, why can't we intercept some money and grain." Han Xiufeng smiled and continued: "This grain is naturally for the villagers to eat, but the silver has other uses. Brother Wang, Brother Yu, Brother Li, as the saying goes, if the name is not right, the word is not good, you are all leading soldiers now, you can't have an official body, the court just opened a new donation case for the suppression of bandits, and the donation of four products or less can be discounted by two, why not take this opportunity to donate one? ”

Seeing that the three of them smiled, Han Xiufeng turned around and said: "Dean Gu, you always have to sit in Hai'an, but also want the affairs of the Prime Minister to protect the affairs of the A Bureau, in my opinion, you also have to donate an official body, and the grade must not be low, otherwise you will not be able to suppress Fang Shimei." ”

"Master Han, do you mean to use the silver borrowed by Fang Shimei to donate the crown to us?"

If he could pay it back in the future, it would be with the money he had borrowed. If he can't pay it in the future, the money he wears will have to be paid by yourselves. But as long as he is obedient, the four or five thousand taels will be earned back sooner or later. ”

"I knew you wouldn't cheat us," the more Dean Gu thought about it, the happier he became, and he couldn't help but smile and said, "Everyone, donating less than four products can be discounted in two, since you have this opportunity, then donate one?" ”

"Donate!"

"Master Han, you are about to be the same state, you are from the sixth grade, then I will donate a positive seventh grade."

"Brother Yu is right, we can't kick our noses in the face, and I will also donate a positive seven products."

Seeing their elated appearance, Han Xiufeng smiled again: "Everyone, although the bandits may not necessarily come to Taizhou, it is a pity that they finally disperse the Xiangyong formation. In other words, this soldier will still have to be brought in the future, and if there are no soldiers, even if he donates an official body, he will not be tough to talk and do things. ”

"What Master Han said is very true, if there is no one under him, who will look down on us except Master Han."

"So if you want to lead a good soldier, you can't have a few competent people under your hands, I think no matter what you want to donate, it's best to help those who are able to donate an official body. Thousands of generals, generals, don't need much silver, you can donate a few more, if you help them donate, they still don't give up. ”

"Yes, yes, Master Han is right, we literati lead the troops, and we can't have a few military attachés under our command."

"Anyway, it won't cost much silver, donate a few more."

How could Dean Gu not know that Han Xiufeng was doing this for them, the gentry, and thinking that he couldn't always take advantage of Han Xiufeng, he couldn't help but ask: "Master Han, you can't have a few military attachés under your command, why don't you help Datou, Lu Daming, Liang Liu, Liang Jiu, Ji Da, and Ji Er also donate." ”

"This silver is said to be borrowed by Fang Shimei, but in fact, it is still from the big guy, let the big guy help my subordinates donate officials, how embarrassing is this."

"What's so embarrassing about this, not to mention that there is still some silver in the public account of the Baojia Bureau."

"Then help Datou and Lu Daming each donate a thousand totals, help Liang Liu and Liang Jiu each donate a total, and forget about Ji Daji Er, you can't let you spend too much."