Afraid that his son would be too sad, Cheng Zhu kept diverting the topic to his experience in the past few months. Cheng Mingzhen also understood his mother's painstaking efforts, and smiled and told his mother how he went to learn Xuangao outside the city on the orders of Lin Xianzun, how Zhang Jin said that he would plan and attack the city at night after accepting the gift, how Wang Shichong attacked Zhang Jincheng secretly, and how he offered a plan to defeat the official army.

At first, he couldn't understand his upset, and he just forced a smile in front of his mother. When it came to being taken care of by the cuckoo in Juluze, how to make her angry, how to fish, practice martial arts, boating, lotus root picking and other trivial things, unconsciously, the smile on his face increased.

"Although the name of the seven masters is famous, their temperament is not very fierce!" Cheng Zhu secretly glanced at his son and interjected with a smile. This stupid son can't even figure out how he really feels! The mother in vain also took on so much heart for him! According to this situation, in just half a month, he must have forgotten all the troubles caused by the marriage.

"What a seven-master, she had to pretend to be a fierce appearance in the bandits' den. Actually, the temper is not as big as the apricot blossom! Cheng Mingzhen didn't notice the smile in his mother's eyes, and responded casually. Suddenly, he found himself pulling Zhu Xing'er again, shook his head, and let out a soft breath.

There are some things that his son didn't notice, and Cheng Zhu couldn't pierce the layer of window paper. After all, the identity of the cuckoo is there, and if her son is really with her, the whole family may not be able to live in peace for the rest of their lives. Thinking of this, she glanced at her son with regret. found that Cheng Mingzhen looked at the falling snow outside the window, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The mother and son chatted for a few hours, and then went to rest until it was completely dark. Early the next morning, Cheng Mingzhen cleaned up his body neatly, and asked Wang Ermao to go to the yamen together. Knowing that he had returned safely, Lin Xianling was obviously very happy, and ordered everyone to disperse after a few hasty instructions, and then left Cheng Mingzhen alone to talk in the second hall.

I haven't seen him for nearly half a year, and the county lord has become a lot richer. Under the sparse beard, two thin layers of fat overlap along the edge of the chin, setting off the whole person as kind as Maitreya in a temple. He solemnly expressed his admiration for Cheng Mingzhen's righteous act of sacrificing his life to protect the people of the county that day. And expressed a warm welcome to the hero's return to his hometown. But he doesn't seem to care much about where Cheng Mingzhen has gone in the past few months. He only cautiously mentioned it, hoping that the young man would not leave himself with unclear trouble.

I had expected that the county magistrate would ask about this, Cheng Mingzhen smiled bitterly and nodded, "After that Jin said that after the defeat of the army, he vented all the fire on the heads of the juniors. He was going to take his junior back to Julu Zezhong to cut his belly and cut his heart, but on the way, he encountered another bandit who came to fight the autumn wind. The two bandits disagreed with each other, and they started a fight. The junior took this opportunity to hide in the grass and secretly grinded the rope. When they were defeated, they immediately grabbed a horse and fought their way out of the encirclement! ”

"Oh!" Lin Xianling nodded slightly, "Bandits are bandits, and they can't be taken for common sense at all." Then why didn't you go back to the city immediately, causing the county to think that you had been killed, and I felt uncomfortable for many days! ”

"Lord Lao is worried!" Seeing that the county magistrate was telling the truth, Cheng Mingzhen's face was also full of gratitude, "The junior suffered a lot of injuries when he broke through, and he fainted before he went far. Fortunately, he was rescued by a hunter in the mountains and brought to his home to recuperate. You also know how there can be any decent Langzhong in the ravine. As a result, the pus and blood in the wound of the younger generation kept flowing every day, until it was winter and the weather was cold, and it slowly recovered. ”

With that, he gently rolled up his cuffs, revealing several red, thick scars. It was all cut by the officers and soldiers as bandits that day, and it was a real knife wound that even a layman could see at a glance.

Seeing this, Lin County Ling hurriedly held up Cheng Mingzhen's arm, "Why are you like this, doesn't the county still believe you?" If it weren't for you, this county would have died in the hands of Zhang Jincheng a long time ago! ”

"Of course the county magistrate knows me, but other colleagues in Guantao County, Cheng has to explain!" Cheng Mingzhen clenched his fists with both hands and responded solemnly.

"Whoever of them dares to chew his tongue, this county will never allow him!" Lin County Ling shook his official sleeves and assured loudly. "This county thought that you had sacrificed your life for the country, so I sent someone to make a statue of you in the City God Temple, so that you can receive the incense of the people of our museum every day! Now that you've come back alive, the figure can be removed. ”

"Thank you, Lord Prefectural!" Cheng Mingzhen took half a step back and bowed again.

Lin Xian Ling glanced at him, and nodded with a smile, "You are a brave and resourceful man, it is really a bit condescending to let you enter the public gate as a small official!" But since the county promised you in public, it can't break its promise. In this way, I have already entrusted the position of Bing Cao to Jiang Bailing, and I can no longer give it to you. However, the county can recommend the position of county lieutenant. Today, the county wrote an official document to go to the county to go through the motions, and according to the usual practice, the boss will not approve it! ”

What Cheng Mingzhen wanted most was this promise, and he hurriedly made another gesture to thank Lin County for his cultivation. Although the rank of county official is low, it is an official officially recorded by the Great Sui. With this identity, he can find ways to find out his father's news and strive to save his father from suffering as soon as possible.

fulfilled the promise of the day, and the Lin County order also fulfilled a wish. smiled and shouted to the servants beside him, and ordered him to take a box of silver ingots, about twenty taels of appearance, and handed it to Cheng Mingzhen along with the box, which was regarded as a congratulatory gift for his promotion.

Real money and silver were not used as coins in the market of the Great Sui Dynasty. Its value is very high, especially at the current time when white money is overflowing, one tael of silver can be exchanged for two copper coins. (Note 1) Such a valuable gift, where did Cheng Mingzhen dare to accept it, and he was so frightened that he thanked him again and again. Lin Xian Ling waved his hand and said with a smile: "You are about to become a county official, and your clothes can't be too shabby." Every move of us officials involves the face of the imperial court, if the county lord can't even afford decent clothes, doesn't it mean that our Great Sui Imperial Court is too poor to open the pot? Take it, take it, and the officialdom will usher in the send-off, and the cost will be huge. You have to have some dry goods on hand, otherwise you can't handle it! ”

Cheng Mingzhen pondered carefully, and felt that Lord Lin's words also had some truth, so he accepted the silver with a grateful face. The county magistrate patted him on the shoulder, and then said in a heartfelt manner: "Everyone thought you were dead that day, so many things have changed. Yesterday, when I heard that you were back, Zhou Gongzi felt that he couldn't stand you, so he specially asked me to deliver the message. Hey, the big husband has the right to be rich, why worry about having no wife! In the future, you should forget all about the past, and don't keep it in mind! ”

"Gongzi Zhou?" Cheng Mingzhen's face was confused. Suddenly, a stream of heat rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. "No wonder the county commander wants to give me silver, it turned out to be sent by the Zhou family!" The thought of the joint made him feel ashamed and angry. After enduring it again and again, he gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Lao bothered." On the Zhou family's side, I definitely won't take the initiative to provoke. But this box of silver, please also ask the lord to transfer it back to Zhou Gongzi. Xiao Jiu is not blessed, and he doesn't dare to accept his benefits! ”

"Hey—" Lin Xian Ling continued to wave his hand, "I gave you this silver, and it has nothing to do with the Zhou family." As for the Zhou family, he also felt ashamed of you in his heart, so he begged me to bring a word. After all, their family is also a local figure with a face, and if you mess with them, they won't look good at each other! ”

After a night of thinking, Cheng Mingzhen didn't plan to reason with the Zhou family. But being mentioned by Lin Xianzun like this, there was a bit of a dilemma. The so-called hatred of taking a wife is a humiliation in the folk alongside the hatred of killing a father. If he exposes the past in a few words, even if he sits firmly in the position of county governor in the future, he will have to recruit people behind him.

"I won't take the initiative to provoke the Zhou family!" Cheng Mingzhen's face was red, and he retreated again and again. "But don't speak for them. It's not that I don't disrespect adults, but ......, but ......" Speaking of this, he himself couldn't find a reason, and tears rolled in his eyes, "One day, I will make them regret it." I, I'm ......" slammed a punch into the pillar of the room, shattering the ceiling to the ground.

The young man's face is tender, and it seems that for a while, this knot cannot be solved by the gods. Thinking of this, Lin Xianling also felt very helpless, and after a few more words, he personally sent Cheng Mingzhen out of the house.

It had snowed heavily outside all night, but it had suddenly cleared. The north wind blew snow foam on the face, which made people feel excited, and they suddenly woke up. In the cold snow, Cheng Mingzhen slowly felt that his behavior just now was a little out of shape, stopped his steps, and took the initiative to explain to Lin Xianling: "It is rare for the juniors to meet with the people of the Zhou family, and there will definitely be no conflict. Even if you meet in the future, the adults have something to say first, and the juniors pretend not to know! I don't bother to trouble them and cause trouble for adults out of thin air! ”

"If only you could think like that. This county has always appreciated your youth and old age! Lin Xianling was a little afraid of the cold, shrunk his neck under his fur fur, and responded absentmindedly.

The words have come to this point, and if they continue to entangle, it will make both parties feel embarrassed. Cheng Mingzhen couldn't think of any more ways to ease the atmosphere, arched his hand, and said goodbye with a forced smile. Lin Xian Ling saw him go away, shook his head slightly, and hid his body behind the vermilion courtyard gate. The moment he turned around, his eyes suddenly darkened, sharp as a knife.