The only broken silver in Li Jingcheng's arms had been spent three days earlier, and at this time, hungry and dizzy, he stepped into the city gate of Xiangkang County, the capital of Bianzhou. This place is not far from the jurisdiction of the Red Turban Rebels, but he really can't walk. Sitting on the ground across from a large house, he found the streets full of ragged beggars. He smiled bitterly in his heart: Anyway, I have studied for a few days, so I can't be a beggar like them, right? But when I looked down at my shabby clothes and dusty bodies, I was almost the same as a beggar.

He was stunned when suddenly a tall and strong beggar came up to him and sat down, and without saying a word, he stuffed two steamed buns into his hand, a whole piece of fragrant rabbit hind legs.

The beggar looked ahead and said lightly, "The little brother is from out of town, right?" Look like you haven't eaten for at least two days, so pad your stomach first, and then work for a while. ”

The stunned Li Jingcheng swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva, he didn't care about asking the other party if he recognized the wrong person, and he didn't care about the Sven of the scholar, he opened his bow left and right, and gobbled it up. It wasn't until the bones were chewed away, and the deep pit of hunger in my belly was just covered, that I remembered that the one who had just mentioned that he still had to work. Hurriedly asked, "What are you doing?" ”

The man looked back at him strangely and asked, "Aren't you the brother of our beggar gang?" ”

Li Jingcheng didn't think about it and nodded again and again, he was worried that he would eat and drink for nothing, and if he didn't admit it, he would immediately incur a fat beating. He saw that this person was five big and three thick, and his small body bones were not enough for him to pinch with his two hands, so it was safer to get off the donkey downhill.

The beggar breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since you are a brother in the gang, don't talk nonsense, just wait to watch the show!" Let you go up with me. ”

In a moment, a small crack opened in the black lacquer door of the mansion opposite, and a child wearing a brocade jacket and a fur hat came out, followed by two mothers-in-law and several family members. The little chubby boy was holding a piece of sugar cake in his hand and looking around excitedly.

A beggar with tousled hair and an unkempt beard, who appeared to have crippled legs, sat on a wooden wheel and quickly swiped at the child with his hands on the ground. With a kind and begging smile on his face, he said from afar: "This little child is so handsome! Can you share the sugar cake in your hand with me? ”。

Several of the followers took two steps forward in disgust and shouted: "Go, go, where did you come from, get out of the way!" It's dirty and smelly, don't smoke my little master. ”

Hanako, the old man, was still smiling and flinching without the slightest panic. The little fat boy pushed away the two family members, broke the sugar cake in his hand in half, picked up half of it and handed it to the old man named Hanako. Hanako hurriedly reached out and took it, gobbling it into her mouth. After eating, he wiped a handful of crumbs from the corners of his lips and said with a smile: "It's delicious!" The little boy is so cute, and the uncle likes you! But I'm not full, so why don't you give me all that you have? ”。

The little chubby boy stopped doing it, and leaned back to hide. A family member even pulled out a steel knife from his waist, rushed forward and scolded: "You are not finished, you are always called Hanako? Don't be embarrassed! Roll me as far as I can. ”

Hanako, a smiling old man, suddenly slammed the car under her crotch and hugged the little chubby child in her arms. The family was shocked and swung a knife at his head. The old man Hanako was not in a hurry, and suddenly stood up from the small plank, and at the same time held the little fat boy in front of him. The man with the knife hurriedly took a step back, dissipating the force of the steel knife.

The old man named Hanako took the little fat boy under his armpit, turned around and ran away. The mother-in-law and the housekeeper shouted at the same time, and when they heard the sound of the house, the door of the house was wide open, and dozens of housekeepers with sticks rushed out and chased after the old man Hanako.

The beggar beside Li Jingcheng suddenly pulled out his waist knife from his back and shouted: "The brothers of the beggar gang come with me, rush in and rob them of their food, gold and silver, and their women!" ”。

Li Jingcheng, who was stunned, stood motionless, watching thousands of beggars suddenly appear waving knives and sticks, howling and rushing into the gate of the mansion. After a short while, in addition to the shouts of killing, there was also billowing smoke in the courtyard. Taking advantage of the chaos and no one paying attention, Li Jingcheng took a few steps back and escaped through the alley.

This is a hungry people who want to riot! Li Jingcheng ran out of breath while constantly asking passers-by about the location of the county office. After turning two streets, he finally saw the vermilion gate of the county government with the south and north vermilion, and there were two officials holding red and black long sticks standing in front of the door.

"The beggar--- the beggar snatched a child, and the hungry people rioted--- the hungry people rioted!". Li Jingcheng, who was out of breath, shouted to the two poor people. The two men glanced at him and turned away expressionlessly. Li Jingcheng was anxious, he was thinking about the little fat boy in his heart, turned around and picked up the drumstick, and smashed it towards a big drum erected in front of the county office.

"Who's making a fuss outside?" With a low shout, Lord Pingzhang, who was full of anger and dressed in official uniform, stepped out.

Li Jingcheng, who had been pressed to the ground by the two officials, raised his head and looked at Lord Pingzhang, and the two of them froze at the same time.

"Brother Jingcheng, why did you come here?"

"Fourth Brother Ma, why are you?".

Lord Pingzhang waved his hand to let the two officials retreat aside, Li Jingcheng got up, patted the dust on his body, dressed neatly, and gave a deep salute.

Ma Qizhang is Li Jingcheng's fellow villager and his idol since childhood. The first gold list title in ten miles and eight townships, the official who honors his ancestors. Although he is four years older than Li Jingcheng, they are both talented people in the countryside, and they live close to each other. Ma Qizhang is the fourth in the family, so Li Jingcheng calls him the fourth brother Ma.

Ma Qizhang smiled and stroked his black beard, raised his hand to pick up Li Jingcheng, who bowed his head and saluted, and asked: "A few days ago, it was said in the family letter that Brother Dao Xian entered Beijing to take the exam, why did he suddenly come here?" It's really a long drought and a rainstorm, and you know your old knowledge in a foreign land! Please come and sit in the ya, you and I haven't seen each other for several years, and let's talk about the wine today. ”

Li Jingcheng was ashamed of his current situation, and suddenly remembered the purpose of running to the county office, and couldn't help but hurriedly say: "Fourth brother, there are beggars in the city who snatch children in broad daylight, and a large number of beggars have entered large households, I'm afraid that the hungry people are rioting!" You should send troops to do the bullet pressure early. ”

Ma Qizhang pulled Li Jingcheng's sleeve with one hand, and was raising his legs to cross the threshold, when he heard this, a bright light flashed in his eyes, and he smiled slightly: "Brother Wei already knows, don't worry, brother Xian, everything is under my control." He turned his head and said to the official who followed: "Come on, prepare a banquet, I want to entertain the little brother from my hometown!" ”。

In a few moments, the banquet was already set up in a small hall. Ma Qizhang affectionately pulled Li Jingcheng to his seat, picked up the wine jug and filled the wine glass in front of the two, slowly sat down and said: "Let's talk about it, the virtuous brother went to Beijing to take the exam, with your talent if you don't win the top prize, you should be the leader and the flower, why are you so down-and-out and end up here?" ”

Li Jingcheng picked up the wine glass with both hands with a face full of shame, the two touched it, and the glass of wine went down, and Li Jingcheng told him how he went to Beijing to take the exam, but he concealed his plan to go to the Red Turban Army, and only said that he was depressed and traveled around to study.

Ma Qizhang poured the two of them full of wine again, tilted his neck and poured it down, put down the wine glass, and began to pour the bitter water in his heart.

"Brother Xian doesn't know, Brother Fool was the head of a county back then, and he also wanted to make a big show. It's just that he worshiped under Lord Zhuo in the capital that day, and somehow later said that he was the former Dazai Yudang and cut off his head. I worked hard for my brother to get out of prison so that he was not imprisoned, but he was still relegated here to be a small Pingzhang. For my brother, I have seen it through, the so-called thousands of miles of officials are only for money, and the foolish brother just wants to make more money now, return to his hometown as soon as possible, and be a rich man who has no quarrel with the world. ”

As he was talking, a messenger walked in with his head down, glanced at Li Jingcheng, and said a few words in the ear of Lord Pingzhang.

Ma Qizhang waved his hand indifferently and said, "There are no outsiders here, you just let him in." ”

With the sound of footsteps, a man walked in. Li Jingcheng looked up and couldn't help but be surprised.

The person who came was none other than the beggar who had snatched the child just now. It's just that this person has already changed his clothes, and his originally unkempt hair has been combed up.

The person who came bowed slightly to Ma Qizhang, Ma Qizhang waved his hand and said: "Brother, you don't have to be polite, this is my fellow villager Li Jingcheng." This is Hu Zhantian, the head of the Beggar Gang Jishan Hall. Come, sit down and have a drink or two. ”

Li Jingcheng got up and saluted Hu Zhantian slightly, he smiled and nodded in greeting, then sat next to Ma Qizhang, took out a stack of silver tickets from his arms and handed them over. Ma Qizhang didn't look at it and picked it up, and said: "Brother Hu, in the future, you should rob and kill, but don't set fire at will!" Otherwise, if you disturb your neighbors, you will have to clean up the aftermath for you. ”

Hu Zhantian laughed and said, "Don't worry, Brother Xian, I have strictly ordered them not to set fire in the future!" ”。 As he spoke, he took the wine jug, poured himself a glass of wine, picked it up and said: "I toast two glasses of wine to the two virtuous brothers, and there are a group of brothers waiting for me, the foolish brother will not accompany me today, let's meet again another day!" I'll do the East. ”

Before he could eat a bite of the dish, Li Jingcheng poured a few large glasses of wine, and his head couldn't help but feel dizzy. Seeing that Hu Zhantian had drunk a few glasses and was about to turn around and leave, he couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do with that little fat boy?" ”

Hu Zhantian was stunned for a moment, and then said with a smile: "That child is white and fat, he is really cute, I let him eat and drink to his heart's content, and he will be able to sell it for a good price when he turns around!" ”。 After speaking, he smiled and clasped his fists, said goodbye and walked away.

After Hu Zhantian left, Li Jingcheng raised his head and glared at Ma Qizhang in a daze and asked, "Fourth brother, where did all your ambitions go back then?" Besides, aren't you worried about the beggars raising the banner of rebellion? ”。

Ma Qizhang, who was full of red light, looked up to the sky and laughed: "The grand ambition of the year has drunk for my brother!" The beggars have already rebelled against these people, they are just a group of idle drunkards, and they will not rebel when the sky falls! It is precisely because of these people that it is necessary for the existence of my yamen, and it is good for my brother to ask the court for something. ”

Grabbing the wine jug and pouring a full glass each, Ma Qizhang stared at Li Jingcheng drunkenly and smiled: "Brother Xian, after a few years of tossing, I have figured out some truths for my brother, do you want to hear it?" ”