Qingtan Town on the shore of Yueyang Lake, located under the rule of Xiangyin County, was called Luocheng in ancient times, there is a river in the territory, named Miluo River, it is where Qu Yuan was martyred, Zhang Desheng took his third son into the town in the evening.

"Sir, we're going to live in this town tonight?"

"Yes, San'er, see if there are any suitable stores on both sides, just go in and ask"

"Master, this Qingtan town is prosperous, and it is more popular than other towns we have walked along the road."

"Hehe, San'er, don't underestimate this place, there have been many celebrities in this Xiangyin County, and there have been two great literati in this dynasty alone, Zuo Zongtang and Guo Songtao. Zuo Wen Xianggong is one of the four famous ministers of Zhongxing as a person, famous all over the world, this place is a good feng shui treasure land, humanities gathering, and the treasure of things. ”

"Let's go home!" As he spoke, he pointed to an inn on the side of the street and walked towards the inn.

"Shopkeeper, but there are still two spare rooms?" Zhang Desheng asked

"Two guest officers, it's really unfortunate, the small shop is full, and there is only one person left, so the two guest officers can live there?"

Zhang Desheng and Xiao Sanzi looked at each other, and Xiao Sanzi said, "Master, if you don't live in a room, I'll find a firewood room and squat for a night." ”

"How can it be done, mosquito bites in this summer, how can you sleep well in a firewood room at a young age" turned his head and said to the shopkeeper, "The shopkeeper, I don't pay much attention to going out, just one room, bring more beds and quilts."

"Okay, two guest officers upstairs, please," the shopkeeper led the way diligently, and shouted in a long voice, "There is a room in the middle room...... Add a futon ......"

"Shopkeeper, do you have any local famous dishes in Qingtan Town that you can recommend?"

"This guest officer, you can ask the right person, if you want to eat, we buy drunk buildings in this town, make our local stewed pig intestines, colorful fish, that is a first-class craft, how many high-ranking officials and nobles in Changsha Mansion have come to taste, they, three days without eating a pig intestine, the heart is panicked, this is a good taste that the emperor in Beijing can not eat." After speaking, the shopkeeper proudly gave a thumbs up, and there was a kind of glory with honor.

"Is it that mysterious? The emperor doesn't eat pig intestines, of course he can't eat this taste. The little third son sneered, his face full of distrust

"Hey, you kid, you say the same as knowing the emperor, how do you know that the emperor doesn't eat pig intestines?, I think that the Daoguang Lord back then even ate donkey intestines, why doesn't today's Guangxu Ye eat pig intestines?" The shopkeeper scolded the little third son

"Alright, San'er, put things in"

"Yes, sir."

"Shopkeeper, don't be angry, country kid, I don't have any knowledge, I don't know how important I am, you understand! If you want to make a basin of water, let's wash up and go buy a drunken building. ”

"Okay, as soon as I see that this old man is a person with status, he speaks and does things decently, so I'll go and fight." After speaking, he shouted downstairs, "The number of people on the second floor, a basin of washing water...... Drain more water ......"

Buying drunk building is built close to Dongting Lake, the style is simple, it is a three-story wooden building, and the two came to the second floor and sat by the window. I ordered the local famous dish stewed pork intestine, colorful fish, and asked for two side dishes and a pot of wine. The little third son is in a hurry with his master these days, although he is tired, but he is also full, every time he goes, his master will taste the local famous dishes, at first he ate with the master at the same table, and he was quite restrained, after Zhang Desheng scolded him several times, he let go, and no longer regarded himself as a person.

The dish was quickly served, and while eating, the little third son listened to Zhang Desheng talk about some anecdotes that happened in Dongting Lake, increased his knowledge, and poured the wine after Zhang Desheng's cup was exhausted. Suddenly, I heard a noise from downstairs, followed by a cry. The two turned their heads to look at the side of the street, and saw a group of people holding sticks, surrounding a mother and daughter, the older one in his thirties, his clothes were washed white, his face was vegetable, the youngest was twelve or thirteen years old, his body was thin, his hair was unkempt, and his face was frightened. The older man panted and hugged his daughter tightly.

The man at the head was about to pull his little daughter, and the mother grabbed the man and grabbed a bloody slot on the man's face.

"Shameless, brothers, beat me up on the girls, beat me hard, beat me to death, don't hurt this little hoof, this is what Jiang Yuanwai likes."

"Ah...... Yes...... Ahh......h Bang...... The screams of "bang" were intertwined with the sound of sticks, and the people around them avoided when they saw it.

"Mother, mother......, don't hit my mother, mother......"

"Please, don't beat my mother, don't beat my mother, I'll go with you, I'll go with you."

The little girl tried to pull the big men, but she was kicked away, crying, kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Mother......, please, I'll go with you......"

"Sir!" The little third son was furious upstairs, and he wanted to rush downstairs to fight those wicked people

"Eat your meal!" Zhang Desheng's heart is far from being so calm on the surface, the strong dragon does not suppress the head snake, not to mention that he is just a lifter, once he sticks to something, he is afraid that he will not be able to get out of this Qingtan Town, not to mention that so many spectators don't care, why should he meddle with things. Listening to the cry of the mother and daughter, I felt that the road was uneven, and I couldn't stand up to hoe the strong and help the weak, sorry for the teachings of the sages, and sorry for the teachings of the two teachers.

At this moment, Zhang Desheng is overturning the river and the sea in his heart, he is alone, there are many people on the other side, everyone seems to be a professional thug, he is a weak scholar, how can he be an opponent. Listening to the screams of the mother and daughter, I felt that I didn't help the weak, and I read the sages in vain, and I couldn't pass the hurdle in my heart.

"Sir! I ......" The little third son stood up, and stopped talking, as if he wanted to go downstairs

"Eat your meal!"

"Bang ......" Zhang Desheng slapped the bamboo chopsticks on the table, and the wine glass bounced off the table.

"Eat your meal! Don't go downstairs! Zhang Desheng said sharply to the little third son.

After saying this, Zhang Desheng opened his shirt and hurried downstairs.

"Stop! " Zhang Desheng, who came downstairs, shouted, and the cheer shook the crowd to stop their hands, and looked at the middle-aged scribe who was walking quickly, "Yo, there are still fools who want to be heroes to save the United States and meddle in their affairs?" ”

"In broad daylight, beating girls and children in full view, do you still have a royal law? Is there still a shame? Zhang Desheng was furious and scolded angrily at the big man with a stick.

"Mother, mother...... What's wrong with you, mother......" The little girl cried and pushed her mother, who was covered in blood on the ground

"Wang Fa, in Qingtan Town, our lord is Wang Fa! Scholar, I advise you not to meddle in your affairs, there are some things that you cannot afford to manage. "A big man with a meaty face

"Hahaha...... Joke, I still have Wang Fa in the Qing Dynasty, and there is still a reason, you commit murder in public in broad daylight, it is rare and you can't control it? ”。 Zhang Desheng looked upright, protected in front of the mother and daughter, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to the little girl, "Little girl, help your mother up, wipe the blood on your face, and see if the injury is serious?" ”

"Okay, I don't know what is dead or alive, dare to take care of my lord's affairs, let you, a nerd, see how many eyes Ma Wang Ye has grown, brothers, drag this nerd away, slap his ears, and see if the master's hands are hard, or his mouth is hard?"

"Yes," said two of them, and went to pull Zhang Desheng.

"Who dares to beat my master!"

Hearing a loud shout, a black shadow flew into the battle group with a bench more than half a person long, and immediately swept away the thousands of troops with one move, sweeping the big men back again and again.

"Master, are you alright?" The third son was on the bench to protect Zhang Desheng and his mother and daughter

"I'm fine, didn't I let you stay on it? What did you run down to do? Zhang Desheng said to the little third son a little sternly

"Okay, here's a nerd who can't help himself, and there's a black boy who doesn't know whether to live or die, it seems that you don't give you a memory today, you don't know, when you're out of the house, don't worry about it." As he spoke, he was about to beat him with a stick.

"Wait a minute, ...... are you sure you're going to fight?"

"Oh...... you nerd, do you want to be forgiven? It's too late to beg for mercy now, and when the fire of the master is played in a while, it's not easy for the king of heaven to come. ”

"Oh...... then look at this, do you still fight?" As he spoke, he took out a small bag from his arms, and there was a piece of oiled paper stacked in the bag, Zhang Desheng carefully opened the oiled paper, revealing a yellow cloth, everyone was surprised, yellow, in this era, is not available to ordinary people.

Zhang Desheng respectfully unfolded the yellow cloth, only to see a yellow flag in the shape of a triangle, raised in the wind. "San'er, go find a long pole, hang up the flag, and let these people who don't have long eyes take a look at it, and ...... What are the consequences. ”

Sharp-eyed people have recognized this flag, every few years there will be a carriage with this flag, or pedestrians passing by Qingtan Town, many people have seen this flag, yellow pennant, the imperial court issued to each of the special flags for scientific research in Beijing.

This flag serves three purposes, first; Planting this flag, candidates entering Beijing can make imperial court buses along the road for free, second; Planting this flag, if the candidate encounters difficulties in the local area, the magistrate needs to focus on solving them, and must not ignore them, so as not to miss the examination date, third; This flag represents the emperor's will, implying that the candidate is accepting the emperor's will to take the exam, and is an alternate official of the imperial court. To put it simply, if this flag is planted, even the bandits know that they can't rob it, and if they rob it, not only will the government find trouble, but even the common people will rub his backbone.

"Oh, it turned out to be a lifting man, this is really ...... You look at the trouble, the little ones are blind to Mount Tai, the water washed the Dragon King Temple, and collided with the lord, don't blame you. ”

"Are you still fighting? According to the "Great Qing Decree", ordinary people, for no reason, beat up meritorious and famous people, and migrated to ...... Three thousand miles, do you want to go? ”

A habit said that all the big men looked at each other, this didn't dare to fight, and they were sent for 3,000 miles, and they were destined to go and not to return, so they unconsciously loosened their sticks and took a few steps back.

The little third son propped up the long pole, with the flag fluttering in the wind, under the gaze of everyone, returned to his master, only felt that he had never been so angry in his life, he held the flag high, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, and the old elder who pulled his figure ......