Cao Hong asked the palace people to ask Cui He for leave early in the morning, and when he arrived at Shuntian Mansion, he rushed to Mengjin with Wang Ying and two clerks. Mengjin is a small county by the Yellow River, Taizu, because of years of war, the population is only 4,000 households, after these years of recuperation, although it has not yet recovered, but it has gradually become lively.

As soon as he arrived at Mengjin Chengguan, Wang Ying pulled Cao Hong and said: "Secretary Li, it's not early, I've been on the road all morning, and the brothers are all hungry, why don't you eat some food first, and then go to the county office?" ”

Cao Hong was also hungry, looking at the sky, it was almost noon, so he nodded and said, "It's okay, find a restaurant, I'll have a treat today." ”

Wang Ying and the two bookstores both nodded happily. Cao Hong saw that there was a restaurant on the side of the road, so he took the three of them into it together, and as soon as he entered, Xiao Er said with a smile: "Four old guests, is it a private room or a lobby, the private room is clean, and the lobby is lively." ”

Cao Hong saw that there were not many people in the lobby, so he said: "Just sit in the lobby, pick up a few of your store's specialty dishes and serve them quickly, and you have to do things after eating." ”

After listening to it, the second child sang: "The four of you are invited, I will arrange it." ”

The four of them sat down, and as soon as they drank some water, they heard two middle-aged men dressed as scribes whispering next to them.

"Have you heard? The second son of Mrs. Qian's family died last night, and this happy event turned into a funeral. The middle-aged man with a goat's beard said.

Another thin-eyed middle-aged man whispered, "Hey! Isn't it? Qian Bin is knowledgeable, benevolent, and a good person like his father, who got married today, but died inexplicably last night. I thought there was something strange about it. ”

The middle-aged man with goat's beard said: "What can be strange, I think it was the little lady who didn't enter the door to death." ”

The middle-aged man in the fine eyes hurriedly said: "You can accumulate some virtue in your mouth, the little lady has not yet married, and the husband died, which is miserable enough, but you are still chewing the root of your tongue here." ”

The goat was anxious: "It's not what I said, you see her, just born, her mother died in childbirth, and her father died of illness when she was seven years old." Seeing that he was about to get married, his husband died inexplicably. Isn't this a nemesis? ”

The middle-aged man sighed and said: "Alas, if you want to say that this God is really unfair, Qian Yanqing and the old man Qian built bridges and paved roads, accumulated virtue and did good, and benefited the township." There was no good fortune, but the son died. ”

Goatbeard also shook his head: "Don't mention this stubble, eat your food well." ”

After speaking, the two buried their heads in eating and did not speak again.

Wang Yingda worked in the yamen when he was thirteen years old, and he had seen too many such things over the years, so he whispered to Cao Hong: "Hey, there are no corpses in building bridges and paving roads, and the thieves are not fair." It's like this everywhere. ”

While he was talking, Xiao Er brought the dishes up, and everyone saw that there were fish and meat on seven or eight plates, and they all felt that Cao Hong had broken the cost.

Cao Hong said with a smile: "Brothers have fellowship, the most important thing is to have a heart, and money is something outside the body." Don't worry. Then he beckoned everyone to eat.

When everyone saw Cao Hong's generosity, they no longer twisted it, and picked up their favorite big munch.

After drinking and eating, Cao Hong asked Xiao Er to serve some tea, and Wang Ying said to Cao Hong while drinking: "Brother Li, you are bright, we are not white-eyed wolves, to be honest with you, this errand is not easy to do." ”

Cao Hong knew that this matter was difficult to do as early as Xu Yan, and he didn't break it, so he pretended to be surprised and asked: "Brother Wang, junior brother, I did my first errand, I don't know anything about the doorway here, you said that this matter is difficult to do, how difficult is it to do?" ”

Wang Ying groaned for a moment and said: "In other places, you don't want to say that you are electing the party leader, even if you choose an emperor, it is very fast, but this Mengjin is not simple." ”

Seeing Cao Hong looking at him suspiciously, Wang Ying continued: "In other places, the official government is the sky, and the county order is given by the Baili Hou, and the party chief will report to the county the next day." But in this Mengjin County, although there is no real emperor, there is a soil emperor. ”

Cao Hong frowned and said, "Who is so bold, but the third chief was ordered to be selected by all parts of the country today, why?" Does anyone dare to resist the decree? ”

"I don't know what's going on, but the party leader of Mengjin County has not yet been elected, and the Xu family must be obstructing it from behind." Wang Ying said to Cao Hong.

"The Xu family?" Cao Hong asked suspiciously.

Wang Ying saw that Cao Hong didn't know, so he told Cao Hong in detail.

It turns out that there is a big family surnamed Xu in this Mengjin Chengguan, when the Jin Kingdom, there were a few 2,000 stone masters, and later although the family road fell, but in this small Mengjin is still a thin camel bigger than a horse. The Xu family supported this room, and the people were prosperous, and Mrs. Xu gave birth to seven or eight sons alone. In this Mengjin County, although the Xu family is not a master who bullies men and women, ordinary people have to retreat when they see it.

After hearing this, Cao Hong thought to himself: "This Xu family must be what the master said, and Ye Luxi is not willing to offend the family." ”

At this time, Wang Ying said again: "It must not be okay for us to break into the county government with black eyes, I have a familiar friend in Mengjin County, and he is also a secretary in the county office, should we inquire with him first?" ”

Cao Hong was worried that he couldn't find anyone familiar with the situation of Mengjin, so he said to Wang Ying: "Brother Wang is still experienced and has many friends, if it weren't for Brother Wang to run errands together, I'm afraid this errand would have to be messed up." ”

When Wang Ying saw the new secretary and relied on him generously, he suddenly felt that he had a lot of face, so he said: "You sit here first, I'll go and call my friend, and I happened to ask here carefully." ”

Cao Hong and the other two clerks naturally agreed.

After a while, I saw Wang Ying, who led a man in his thirties wearing a blue official shirt to walk in, and when he saw Cao Hong, he introduced to the man: "Old Qi, this is our secretary." ”

Seeing that Cao Hong was so young, Lao Qi was also stunned, arched his hand and sighed: "Adults and young people are ambitious, it's really a shame for us who are stumbling around!" ”

Cao Hong thanked him repeatedly, and asked Xiao Er to withdraw the plate, put on some snacks and fruits, and after everyone sat down, Wang Ying said: "Lao Qi, what's going on with you Mengjin, in the spring, the imperial court ordered all the state capitals, counties and townships to report the three long files, why can't you wait until the autumn and still can't be elected, what did you do as the magistrate of Mengjin?" ”

The old Qi picked a few fruits to eat, and said with a smile: "Our county magistrate wants to take care of it, but his words are useful in our county yamen, and when he goes out of the yamen, others only think he farts." ”

Seeing that there was gossip, Wang Ying suddenly came to his senses and asked the old Qi: "I haven't heard of this yet, what's the matter, what is your master's birth?" ”

Lao Qi chewed the cake in his mouth, and laughed out loud, only to see the cake crumbs fly far away: "That Han Ling is still talking about being born, it turns out that he is an old army, and he doesn't know what shit he has taken to make this Mengjin county order." In addition to drinking every day, it is a drunken mania. No one cares about the affairs in the yamen, and he can't take care of the affairs outside the yamen. He explained the matter of choosing the third chief, but the county looked at what Mrs. Xu meant. ”

"Oh? What do you mean? This old lady wants to be the party leader? Cao Hong asked deliberately.

"This party leader is doing it for a cold man, that's still a little interesting. Mrs. Xu's house has dozens of big houses, this Mengjin except for the Fantian on the edge of the Yellow River, seventy percent of the fertile fields are his Xu family, what do you say he wants to be the party leader? Hungry? Lao Qi shook his head and said.

Wang Ying was anxious when he heard this: "You haven't elected the third chief of your county yet, how do you tell us to go back and restore our lives." ”

Lao Qi said unhurriedly: "Why didn't you choose, the will of the imperial court and the notice of the county order are clearly written, who dares to resist the decree?" ”

Wang Ying was confused by Lao Qi's words: "Then this is the choice?" ”

Lao Qi looked at Cao Hong and the two secretaries vigilantly, and whispered to Wang Ying: "I chose it, but I didn't report it to the house." ”

Cao Hong saw that he was sneaky and knew that there was something else hidden, so he pretended to be young and ignorant, and slapped the table: "What? Do you dare not report it? Is this a failure to resist the will? Let's go back to the yali and repay Lord Jerod. ”

Everyone was startled by his "bang" on the table, and heard him say that he was going back to complain, and they were even more panicked, Wang Ying said: "Li Siyi, this old Qi is my friend, I called him out today, only to talk about personal friendship, not to talk about anything serious." Don't mess around. ”

That Lao Qi said angrily: "Lao Wang, what's the matter, not enough friends, let's talk about these words here with our brothers, take them out, do you want to smash our Lao Qi's bowl?" ”

Cao Hong hurriedly pretended that the newcomer had done something wrong, and said again and again: "Ah, it's all because the little brother is young and not thoughtful enough, Brother Qi don't be angry with the younger brother, go to Shuntian Mansion another day, and I will make amends for the sin." ”

That old Qi thought that Cao Hong really didn't understand anything, but he was just a second ancestor who had just entered the yamen, so he was no longer angry, and said in a low tone: "The county received the will in the spring and ordered the townships to choose the three chiefs, but guess what, the three chiefs who were selected are either your leg broken today, or something happens at home tomorrow, let's not mention anything else, let's just say that the old Qian family in our Chengguan, the old lady Qian was originally elected as the party leader, and the second son was scheduled to welcome his relatives today, but his second son died last night." ”

It was as if a basin of cold water had been poured on everyone's heads, and goosebumps rose.

One of the two clerks who came with him trembled and said, "I'm afraid it's not that this old lady's family has caused something dirty, and this bone is coming to take revenge." ”

Another clerk thought of what the two middle-aged scribes said during the meal, so he said: "How can there be such a coincidence, I think it is the daughter-in-law who did not pass through the door who killed Qian Lao Erke." ”

Cao Hong knows that things are not so simple, how can there be such a coincidence in the world, the three chiefs who were selected one after another are either himself, or the family has an accident, there must be someone who is unwilling to let these people take office!

At this time, Lao Qi said mysteriously: "Why, you all know about the little daughter-in-law of Qian Lao's second daughter-in-law who killed the family!" It's very well-informed! ”

Wang Ying said: "Hey, didn't you just hear about it! ”

Lao Qi "smashed" and said: "This little daughter-in-law, father and mother, his dead ghost father gave her the second son of the old lady's family, I thought it was good, although the Qian family is not a rich and noble family, but it is also a solid family, and now I can always live a good life." But who knew this happened, hey, isn't this a dead star? I heard that she has long been on good terms with other men, so I tell you......"

Cao Hong listened to Lao Qi's more and more explicit words, and knew that there was nothing useful in his mouth, so he glanced at Wang Ying, and Wang Ying understood, so he intercepted Lao Qi's words and said: "Oh, what do you say, that's it today, Lao Qi, next time you go to Shuntianfu, you want to find me to drink, don't ...... like last time."

Cao Hong saw that Wang Ying sent Lao Qi away, so he said to the three of them: "It's not too early, let's go to the county government and meet the county order." ”

When they had settled their accounts, they went to the county office.