On the fifteenth day of the first month of the ninth year of orthodoxy, Dong'e County.

Liu Juntao and his entourage stayed in Huakou Town for one night, and early the next morning, accompanied by Hu Dexing, Sun Xu, and Meng Fanchen, they went north from Huakou Town and rushed to Dong'e County.

Dong'e County has a long history, during the Warring States Period, it is located in the border of Qi and Zhao, there is the Daqing River flowing into the sea, and the river meanders to form a large tomb, so it is called Dong'e.

After Cao Cao's son Cao Zhi was named the king of Dong'a, his seven-step poem is famous all over the world, there is a tomb of Cao Zhi on the fish mountain, before Liu Juntao was accompanied by Tang Yu, climbed the fish mountain to pay homage to the tomb of Cao Zhi.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Dong'e County was subordinate to Dongping Mansion, and in the eighth year of Hongwu, the county was set up in Gugucheng (now Dong'e Town, Pingyin County), and it was subordinate to Dongping Prefecture, Jining Prefecture. In the eighteenth year of Hongwu, it was changed to Yanzhou Mansion and was subordinate to the political envoy of Shandong.

At this time, the circumference of Dong'e County is more than eight miles, the streets in the city are vertical and horizontal, there are four north-south streets, three east-west streets, Wenwu Temple, bell tower, drum tower in the city, and the rest of the county ya, thousands of households and other yamen are on the Wenchang Street in the city.

Among these shops, the most famous products are Ejiao, Runhuitang Cellar Dates, Secret Ejiao Dates, Niujiaodian Chang's Fried Fish and Gaojichenglou Tofu Skin, which are very famous in the whole Yanzhou Mansion and even the whole of Shandong.

Liu Juntao and his entourage, accompanied by Hu Dexing and the others, wandered around on the streets of Dong'e County, although everyone came to have a relationship with the officials in the city, but the vast majority of Liu Juntao and his entourage were coming to Dong'e County for the first time, and at this time they had to look around first, feasting their eyes and paying attention to others.

After a while, everyone came to the bustling Dongchang Street, and the crowd like a tide suddenly stunned everyone, and even Liu Juntao was amazed.

Although the towns of Huakou, Zhangqiu and Anshan within the control of Yushanji were all prosperous at this time, after all, they were only a few villages and towns that had formed a scale, and they were still incomparable with a city like Dong'e County!

Liu Juntao also looked around, a little dazzled, and said to Hu Dexing: "It's really prosperous here!" Master Hu, do you think it's good for me to send someone here to do business? ”

Hu Dexing smiled and said, "Come here? Jun Tao, this is Dong'e County, what business are you doing here? Illicit salt? ”

Liu Juntao said: "Can't I do some other business? ”

"It's hard!"

Hu Dexing pointed to the shops on both sides of the street and said, "Look at these two sides, all the shops with good business are time-honored!" Different from Zhangqiu Town, Huakou Town and other places, most of the people there are villagers from all over the country, and they don't recognize any old shops, as long as the things are good and the price is cheap. And in Dong'e County, and even in Dongping Prefecture and other cities, the people will first see if you are a well-established or famous store, and then see if the things are good! ”

Liu Juntao was stunned when he heard it, but he didn't expect that the people of Daming were also looking at the brand and recognizing the famous brand at this time!

"I see!"

After speaking, Liu Juntao began to ponder.

Seeing this, Hu Dexing said, "What? Juntao, what do you think again? ”

"Do business!"

Liu Juntao looked at Hu Dexing and said very seriously: "I'm thinking about how to do big business!" ”

Hu Dexing smiled when he heard this, and didn't say anything more, obviously not believing that Liu Juntao would not run the lucrative private salt business well, but to consider legitimate business.

After walking around for a while, they came to a small courtyard under the guidance of Hu Dexing.

This courtyard is not on the street, but in a deep alley, if it weren't for Hu Dexing to lead the way, Liu Juntao and the others really couldn't find here.

Meng Fanchen stepped forward and knocked on the door, and after a while, he heard someone shouting inside: "Who! ”

"The general flag of Huakou Town, Hu Dexing!"

Hu Dexing shouted, and soon the gate of the courtyard opened, and a man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks hugged his fist at Hu Dexing, and said with a smile: "Oops! What kind of wind sent Mr. Hu over today? ”

After speaking, the man arched his hand towards Sun Xu and Meng Fanchen again.

Hu Dexing also smiled back and said, "What? Not welcome? ”

"How dare you! How dare you! ”

The man looked at Liu Juntao, looked at Zhou Zongsheng and other guards behind Liu Juntao, and asked, "Mr. Hu, who are these people?" ”

Hu Dexing introduced the man.

"This is the head of Yushan Ji, my brother Liu Juntao. Behind him are Zhou Zongsheng and Brother Zhou, who are Juntao's guard captains, and the rest of the heroes are my Juntao brothers' guards. ”

"This is Liu Juntao?"

Looking at the man's surprised appearance, Liu Juntao clasped his fists and said with a smile: "This adult knows me? ”

"Haha! How not to know? In the boundary of our Dong'e County, which one of the Bafang in that town, the Wang family in Huakou Town, and the Liu family in Anshan Town is not a rampant party? If you take it out and stomp on it, Dong'e County will be shaken three times! Brother Liu can kill these powerful and bandits one by one, and your name has already spread all over Yanzhou Mansion! ”

Liu Juntao said with a smile: "Win the prize!" Overpraise! ”

At this time, Hu Dexing said to Liu Juntao: "Juntao, this is also my good brother, Zhao Dian, who is Dong'e County. ”

"Long admiration! Long admiration! It turned out to be Zhao Dian! ”

Liu Juntao saluted again.

"Hey, hey!"

Seeing that Liu Juntao was so powerful, but he was also very polite to himself, he couldn't help but harden up, and his face was full of smiles.

"Please! Let's talk at home! ”

At this time, Hu Dexing stopped Zhao Dianzhi and said, "Don't be busy!" Please do me a favor today! ”

After speaking, Zhou Zongsheng stepped forward and landed a silver ingot, and the Zhao Dianguan weighed some with his hands, and his eyes suddenly lit up: This is a full five taels of silver!

"Haha! Say! ”

The Zhao pawn said with a smile: "What's the matter, Hu Zongqi just orders!" We're not outsiders. ”

Hu Dexing pointed at Liu Juntao and said: "Although my brother Juntao is a little famous, he has no backing, isn't this looking for you today?" I just want my brother to take us to the county yamen and make offerings to the gods in the yamen! ”

"Oh! That's it? ”

Zhao Dianxian laughed, a pair of small eyes were almost closed, and said, "Walk!" Let's go now, if it's too late, I guess those guys won't know where to go and be happy! ”

So, Liu Juntao, Hu Dexing and his entourage followed behind Zhao Dianzhi and walked towards the county office.

On the way, Zhao Dianzhi kept chatting with Liu Juntao, especially saying that he was omnipotent, as if as long as the money was in place, everything in Dong'e County could be settled for Liu Juntao.

Liu Juntao also smiled and agreed, and kept complimenting Zhao Dian.

"To say that we officials are all unpopular goods, and we can't get on the table. However, if those county magistrates want to collect taxes, they have to rely on us! If the generals of those guards want to have peace in the place, they also have to rely on us! So, don't look at us as having no grade, but the big Buddha in the yamen, I can also speak! ”

"That's nature! This time it depends on Zhao Dian! ”

While talking, everyone came to the county office, and after Zhao Dian's doorman, he took Liu Juntao and Hu Dexing and others in.

"The county master estimates that you won't be able to see each other, so I'll take you to get to know the head of the six departments of the county government."

"Good! It's all up to Zhao Dian! ”

Saying that, Liu Juntao also carefully observed the scenery in the county office, after all, it was the first time he entered the county government of the Ming Dynasty.

After everyone walked in from the corner gate of the county ya, what caught their eyes was the core building of the county ya-lobby, in addition to flowers and plants in the courtyard, there was also a "ring stone pavilion".

But the Zhao Dianguan walked around this "ring stone pavilion", as if he was very reluctant to approach this pavilion.

Liu Juntao took a closer look and found that there was a stone tablet in the middle of the pavilion, which read, "Erfeng Erlu, the people's fat and the people's ointment." The people are easy to abuse, and the heavens are difficult to deceive".

"It seems that these officials are also ashamed!"

Liu Juntao thought secretly in his heart, and then saw that there were ear rooms such as "Honor Guard Library" and "Luan Driver Library" on both sides of the lobby in front of him, as well as "Warden Hall" and "Warden Hall" and other office rooms.

There are six rooms on both sides, the left side is the three rooms of the officials, the household, and the ceremony, and the right side is the three rooms of the soldiers, the criminals, and the workers.

Walking here, Liu Juntao saw a lot of soap officials in two or three looking at his group, and many people were whispering and looking up and down.

"Everyone has heard about Yushanji, and it is estimated that the porter has spread your news, so everyone has come to see the fun."

Zhao Dianguan explained, but Liu Juntao was thinking about one thing: At this time, the Ming Dynasty was far from the Chongzhen period, but he didn't expect that these officials at the grassroots level were already so corrupt, how could they get it in the long run!

"I, the people of Yushanji, must not become like this!"

Liu Juntao thought secretly in his heart, but he always had a smile on his face, and under the introduction of Zhao Dian, he knew the heads of the six departments of the Yamen one by one, and Zhou Zongsheng also offered silver one by one.

I saw that those officials did not shy away from this, they all took it with a smile, and then made friends with Liu Juntao and Hu Dexing, and outsiders seemed to be like confidants who had reunited after a long absence.

Liu Juntao looked at the officials in front of him, and there was already a trace of anger in his heart: "The human eyes are as smooth as oil, and the ancients will not deceive me!" ”

Approaching noon, everyone followed Zhao Dianzhi out of the yamen, and this time Liu Juntao had spent more than 100 taels of silver, which made Zhou Zongsheng very distressed.

Even Hu Dexing, Sun Xu, and Meng Fanchen saw that their eyelids jumped, and the three of them secretly said in their hearts: "This Liu Juntao is really rich, dare to come to Dong'e County to throw money today!" ”

At this time, Liu Juntao looked at the sky and said to Zhao Dian: "It's not early, I think let's find a restaurant to have a light meal, and in the afternoon, I will ask Zhao Dianguan to take us to a thousand households." ”

"Haha, what's so hard about that!"