When Zhang Fan returned home, he didn't mention what he encountered on the street, he was mainly afraid that his mother would know that he had been beaten and worry about it. However, that stick was really too ruthless, and Zhang Fan always felt a faint pain in his back. When it touches the wound, the pain is even more unbearable. Zhang Fan had to endure silently and continued to read and write.

Early in the morning of the second day, not long after Zhang Fan got up, he heard someone shouting outside: "Is this Zhang Fan's Zhang Gongzi's house?" ”

Zhang Fan was very puzzled, although he was somewhat famous among the neighbors, no one would ever call his name outside the door, if the neighbors wanted to come to ask for a word, write a letter or something, most of them would come into the house by themselves!

Zhang Fan was still guessing who the person was coming, and his mother had already led the person into the door. Zhang Fan saw that it was two officials, and he was even more puzzled in his heart.

One of the officials didn't wait for Zhang Fan to speak, and then said: "Zhang Gongzi, the county government is invited, please come with us." ”

As soon as the Zhao family heard that the official had sent his son to go with them, he immediately became anxious: "The two big brothers, my son is a famous talent, and he will never do that thing as a traitor, and I hope that the two of you can raise your noble hand......"

Zhang Fan saw his mother's anxious appearance, so he knelt down to plead, and hurriedly hugged his mother and said: "Mother, didn't these two officials say, it was the county government lord who was looking for me, and something didn't happen." After that, he turned his head to look at the two officials and asked, "I wonder if the county government wants to find me?" ”

"I don't know about this matter, but the adults told me to come to Zhang Gongzi this morning to talk about it, and I also told the two of us to invite Zhang Gongzi here."

"The county magistrate invited me to go?" Zhang Fan was a little confused, but the county government had an invitation, and he had no choice but to comfort his mother: "Mother, the child can come when he goes, don't worry." Under the watchful eye of his mother's worried eyes, Zhang Fan walked to the county government with the two officials.

The county government of Anhua County is located in the center of the city, and it can be reached by walking straight after entering the city from the east and west gates, and the county lord lives in the courtyard behind the county yamen.

Zhang Fan followed the two of them into the small door next to the yamen and came to the courtyard where the county magistrate lived. The two of them reported their intentions, and someone went in to report it immediately. Zhang Fan looked at the Yamen of Daming County, it didn't look so glamorous, and he didn't know that it was built in that dynasty, and it looked a little old, but it was very clean.

"Zhang Gongzi is here, come in." An old man over sixty years old walked out and said to Zhang Fan.

"Thank you, Lord Prefectural." Zhang Fan hurriedly checked his head. The county magistrate's surname is Ma, Zhang Fan has seen it, when he was in the Xiucai the year before last, this Ma County Ya was still in the Fuyuan Building in Anhua County to feast the six new talents who were on the list at that time. That was also the best meal that "former" Zhang Fan had ever eaten.

Zhang Fan entered the house with the Ma County Ya, sat down with the guests and hosts, and some people served tea. Zhang Fan spoke first: "I don't know what happened to Master Ma today's late birth." ”

"The old man called his virtuous nephew over today, not for anything else, but also to thank you for relieving the siege of the two daughters of the Chen family the day before yesterday." Ma Xianling said.

Zhang Fan knew what was going on as soon as he heard it, and hurriedly said, "Don't dare, don't dare." This...... When I read the book of the saints, I knew that it was my duty to act bravely, and Lord Ho Lao praised it so much. ”

"It can't be said that there are fewer and fewer people in this world who have this kind of behavior! Most people just say they won't do it. When the road is uneven, helping each other does not necessarily require drawing a knife. Ma Xian Ling praised.

"Awards, awards." Zhang Fan is modest.

"Actually, I and the Chen family are also world friends, the two daughters of the Chen family came to my place yesterday as guests, talking about the things on the road, said that there is a scholar who looks like a person to relieve the siege for the two of her, as soon as I talk about you, I know. The Chen sisters are also my juniors, I also know a thing or two about their temperament, and the younger sister of the sisters is also more lively, but the elder sister is a little cold and doesn't like to socialize with others. Who knew that this time it was a big praise for you. I want you to come here today to thank you. Ma Xian Ling said, his eyes were also full of gratitude.

"Your Excellency is overrated." Zhang Fan said, "It's just that if I send someone to come here for this matter, is it too much, someone will inform the late student, and the late student will come to the door." ”

"Hehe, since it's someone who is praised by my nieces, of course I'm going to call to take a look. I really don't know when such a character appeared in this Anhua City! Ma Xian Ling said, "I heard that you also went to Qingyang Mansion to participate in the township test a few days ago, how do you feel?" ”

"This township test has just passed, and the students are somewhat sure, but they don't dare to say anything about it. Everything is still waiting for the day when the list is released. Zhang Fan said.

"Well, that's true, it's the old man Meng Lang." Ma Xianling said with a smile.

"Alas, since the Yongle period, the imperial examination in the world has changed." Ma Xian Ling didn't care that people with a heart listened to it, and it could be said that he spoke freely, "Why don't the current scholars cultivate literature and morality, they only know how to tend to the flames, and they can't help themselves!" ”

"......" Zhang Fan didn't know what to say, and he didn't know what Ma Xianling wanted to say.

"I think that the old man also did well in the eight articles, and when he was about the same age as you, he went to Beijing to take the exam, and he was admitted to the Jinshi that year, but after becoming an official, he found that these eight articles were done well, which does not mean that you are also a good official, but this Ming officialdom has been like this for two hundred years, and it is impossible to change it by one person, and the end is to break the head and bleed." Ma Xian Ling said a little gloomily.

When Zhang Fan heard this, he looked at Ma Xianling and was still stuck in his memories, and the words he said were very heavy. Zhang Fan began a bold speculation that modern people habitually speculated: "Maybe this Ma County Commander used to be an important minister in the court, but I haven't heard of a high-ranking official surnamed Ma who was sent here because of his anger." ”

"I don't know ...... the county magistrate," Zhang Fan said, but was stopped by Ma County's order.

"I'm sure you can see that!" Ma Xianling said, "Yes, this official was demoted here, the reason why I dare to say this, even if you go to tell the truth, I am not afraid of being exiled again." ”

"How could a late student do such a thing!" Zhang Fan hurriedly said.

"Hehe, the old man believes that you won't, the old man is saying that even if someone tells him, the old man will not be afraid." Ma Xianling said with a smile.

"Your Excellency still hasn't said what you sent someone to call me here today." Zhang Fan continued to ask.

"Actually, the old man has something I want to ask, I heard that your ancestral home is from Yangzhou Mansion?" Ma Xianling asked.

"It's not a secret, my grandfather is from Yangzhou Mansion." Zhang Fan said that he didn't know why Ma Xianling would talk about it.

"The day before yesterday, the Chen family sisters talked about you, and I heard someone talk about it before I sent someone to invite you, and I remembered something." Ma Xianling said, "To tell you the truth, I and Chen Wenchuan, the border patrol director of Nading, are also from Yangzhou Prefecture, and I went back to my hometown Yangzhou five years ago before I came here to take office. I heard that the head of the Zhang family said that there was an uncle in the family who left for some reason fifty years ago, leaving only a letter saying that he had gone to the northwest, and hoped that I would look for him. I don't know how many people in Yangzhou in Qingyang Mansion are, and the old man doesn't know where to find them. You are here today, the old man just asked, is your grandfather called Zhang Yuanlin? ”

"That's the ancestor!" Zhang Fan said with some excitement.

"It can be regarded as found, your family is now in charge of family affairs is your uncle Zhang Yufang, he wants to find your family, and hopes that you can return to Yangzhou and recognize your ancestors."

"My ancestor ran away from home for some reason, and he didn't tell my father to listen, but he left a family rule, if there is no one in the family who can go out, he will not return to Yangzhou." Zhang Fan remembered that his mother had told him about it when he was a child.

"It's really weird." Ma Xianling was also a little confused, and he didn't know why Zhang Fan's grandfather set this family rule.

"Late life, please don't tell you that you have found us over there in Yangzhou." Zhang Fan said.

"This old man knows." Ma Xianling replied.

Zhang Fan said goodbye to the county order and returned home, just saying that the county commander invited him to come over to talk about the township test. He didn't dare to say that he was beaten from behind when he saw that the road was uneven, and he didn't dare to say that the people in his hometown in Yangzhou were looking for him, for fear that something would happen again, so he went back to his house to read and write.