In a dense hut in the back hall of the governor's yamen, the lazy and incompetent faint official in Zhu Pingjian's mouth was lying on the bed at this time, with a stack of hot towels on his forehead.

"Sir, a guest has come to visit." Liao Tycoon's favorite concubine, Liu Huilian, walked in with her plump buttocks twisted. She served a bowl of rice porridge and a stack of side dishes on the dinner plate.

"Who is it? Irrelevant people, after receiving the gift, let the next person send it away. Liao Daheng didn't open his eyes, and he lay down and hummed.

"Oh, it's not an outsider, it's the brother of the slave family." The concubine's gentle words made Liao Tycoon open his eyes.

"Oh, it's Mr. Liu. Does he have any advice for me? Please, please! Liao Daheng took off the towel, lifted the quilt, and was about to sit up.

"Oh, sir! You just sit in bed, why do you get up? And not an outsider. Come, drink the porridge first, how can you do it without eating at night? ”

Mr. Liu soon appeared at the door, and he was about to kneel, but Liao waved his hand impatiently.

Mr. Liu didn't sit down, walked straight to the bed, opened Liao Daheng's eyelids, touched his forehead again, and said, "The eyes are slightly burning, and the disease of wind and heat." Can adults in the ministry suffer from tinnitus? ”

"Tinnitus every now and then." Liao Daheng replied while drinking gruel, perhaps in a hurry, and coughed a few times. The concubine hurriedly took it with a spittoon.

"There is also yellow phlegm, which is a typical disease of wind and heat. You might as well be as strong as the people of the ministry, quit spicy, clear porridge and side dishes every day, and add a few pairs of warm and cool medicine to recuperate, and you will be healthy in a few days. ”

"What's so good?" Liao Daheng put down the bowl, and his rich face couldn't hide the worry on his face.

He sighed and said: "The riots outside the city are so bad, I'm afraid that the whole Sichuan will be in a commotion!"

Yesterday, Benfu got the news that Chen Shiqi, the deputy envoy of the school, and several of them had jointly signed a petition to impeach the official for levying taxes, tyrannizing the villagers, provoking a popular uprising, and shaking the whole Sichuan. At the time of civil unrest, there is nothing to do, only to lock the city to protect itself!

In the first month, the thieves defeated the fierce town in Huanghou City, went out of the river into Huguang, and lost the Xiang Domain, and the crows in the court wanted to impeach Benfu in groups, but fortunately, there was Yang Gebu in front of him. But this time, no one is in the way!

Mr. Liu, you say that this group of righteous men and gentlemen can't do anything, why do you have to force Ben Fu to Shao Jiechun's dead end? Didn't they expect that sooner or later, one day, they would also end up in Benfu! Ay! Since it is impossible to escape the catastrophe, it is better to write a letter of resignation now. You took your clan sister away from home, so that Huilian would be sold into the hook fence in the future and bullied by that group of young people! ”

Hearing what Liao Tycoon said, the little concubine cried with a whimper. Mr. Liu was still smiling, he waved his hand to let the clan sister go out first, and then said: "The lord of the ministry is a provincial shepherd, why are you so inauspicious? The little brother came here today and has something to do with it! ”

When Liao Daheng heard this, he hurriedly sat up straight: "Mr. Liu's business is all over the world, and there are countless friends on the rivers and lakes, but what is the way to get Ben out of this misfortune?" ”

Mr. Liu laughed and said, "The little brother doesn't have the ability to say from the adults!" I'm just a Jia man who values profit over righteousness, doing some small business and supporting my family. It's just that a few days ago, the younger brother occasionally heard a story, and I specially told it to the adults of the ministry. ”

Liao Daheng said eagerly: "Oops! Mr. Liu also learned the problem of our readers dropping their book bags. What a story, tell it quickly! ”

Mr. Liu said: "The younger brother has a nephew named Guo Shiyu, who is also a big family in the city. A few days ago, he came to visit him and told him about his recent encounters. ”

So, Mr. Liu talked about Guo Shiyu's confrontation with Li Chongwen and Liu Hongting in Renshou County. In the end, Mr. Liu added his own understanding, "The younger brother thinks that the chaos outside the city is called to remove the five beetles, which is related to the high land rent and tax. I think that the subordinate officials of the prince are engaged in rent reduction in Renshou County, is it a good way to quell the civil unrest? ”

Mr. Liu originally told such a story, Liao Daheng Rao has been cultivating in officialdom for many years, and the disappointment on his face can't be concealed:

"Oh, Mr. Liu, the more contributions his palace collects, the fewer people pay taxes. The court is now short of silver, and His Majesty's will to recover the tax arrears is one after another. His palace has benefited, but the unfortunate one is the government, and it is us who are the courtiers who support our families! ”

I wanted to offer a heavy treasure, but it was thrown out by others as soon as I sent it in. Mr. Liu is an eight-sided and exquisite character, and he is not annoyed, but he just said with a smile: "I have some business in Yazhou, and I heard that the chaotic people have been put down there, and now they are attracting investment and want to do tea and horse business with Kangzang." The people of the ministry may wish to think about it, Yazhou can be flat, why can't my provincial capital be flat? ”

"Tianquan Tusi sent troops to escort the prince back to Chengdu, and happened to encounter the Yazhou civil unrest. The ministers of the kingdom of Yazhou and the gentry of Mancheng jointly asked for help, so ......"

Without waiting for Liao Tycoon to explain, Mr. Liu sneered: "I heard that the prince is recruiting troops in the four gates of Yazhou, and he will be the ...... protector."

"Protect the caravan. Ben Fu also inscribed the team flag in his own hand. Liao Daheng was exhausted and snorted.

"The Lord of the Ministry is shining thousands of miles, and it turns out that he knows everything!" Mr. Liu regained his usual smile. He arched his hand and said, "Since the adults of the ministry know everything, why don't you use it for life?" The little brother said all this, say goodbye first! ”

"Utilization? How to use it? I don't know how to exploit yet? How can I use it if I don't have money? Rent and tax reduction, can I calculate it? Come up with some bad ideas! Seeing off Mr. Liu, Liao Daheng was half-lying on the bed, sneering with his eyes closed. Suddenly, perhaps remembering something, he sat up suddenly, "Huilian! Huilian! ”

"Master, what's the matter? I'm going to send my big brother! The concubine walked in with a pout.

"Huilian, you arrange for your clan brother to live in the mansion first. There may be something to trouble him, don't slack off! ”

"Got it, sir! It's not an outsider, so it's polite! ”

"Also, let the housekeeper invite all the friends to come!"

The friend of the curtain is the master.

The master system has gradually flourished since the Ming Dynasty, and most local officials employ a few private staff. Liao Daheng is the governor of a province, and there are piles of big and small things, and there are more than a dozen masters hired. In addition to giving advice behind Dong Weng's back, these private staff members also handled government affairs for the shogunate, and even served as the personal representatives of the officials, supervising the subordinate officials. It's just that the concubine Huilian understands that what the master wants to see is not all the masters, but the top four of the hundred family names he trusts the most: Zhao Qian and Sun Li.

Master Zhao is an old talent, a native of Yunnan. Since the master's debut, he has followed the master, and he is considered the old-timer among the masters, and he is the most trusted by the master.

Master Qian is a person from Shanxi, and the master entered the shogunate when he was the head of the six products in Beijing, and he is an elf and agile, and the master is the most relied on. It's just because of the competition for favor that he has some topping up with Master Zhao (Note 1).

Master Sun is also a man, a native of Nanzhili, and he is very skilled in the writing of the case. Most of the master's twists and turns are from the hands of Master Sun.

Master Li is a person from Beijing and has no fame, but because his family is a businessman, he is extremely familiar with money and food. The most important thing for civil officials to lead the army is to control money and food, so the master must be inseparable from Master Li.

Hearing that the master invited him late at night, the four masters did not dare to slack off, and quickly rushed to the master's room. Liao Daheng sat on the bed, with only his concubine Liu Huilian waiting by his side. He apologized, only saying that his body was itchy and he couldn't pay a full salute. The four masters hurriedly bowed down and said that it was okay. Liao Daheng explained the meaning of the late-night invitation, and repeated the story that Mr. Liu had just told just now, and asked: "Mr. Liu suggested that I use the prince of the palace, where to go, please speak up." ”

Master Zhao is the oldest and the oldest, and he has always been the first to speak. He said with a worried face: "Master, what are you most worried about now? It's not the rebels outside the city, it's the crows in the city! The crow has impeached you, and if you don't have a self-defense, then disaster is not far off! ”

Master Qian said: "What Mr. Zhao said is not bad, the key is what kind of statement to find." Tens of thousands of hundreds of thousands of chaotic people outside the city, robbing this one today, and that one tomorrow, it is useless to find any explanation. The imperial court is not blind and deaf, and its own factory guards secretly hand over folds to the emperor. Officials of all sizes in Chengdu are not dumb, and the impeachment letter was issued today, and it can be issued tomorrow. If we continue like this, we will die sooner or later! ”

As soon as the two masters spoke, they pinched up, and Liao Daheng couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Benfu can be the governor of a province, and several gentlemen have made great contributions." Now that the great disaster is coming, I hope that several gentlemen can work together to tide over the difficulties! ”

Listening to Liao Daheng's earnestness, Master Zhao said with tears in his eyes: "The student has followed the master for decades, although he does not have the name of master and servant, he really has the righteousness of master and servant. If the master is in trouble, the student is not alone! As soon as Master Zhao expressed his position, the other three were not far behind, and they were all in the same boat.

Liao Daheng saw the effect of his sad card, so he took advantage of the situation and said: "Mr. Zhao and Mr. Qian are right. The chaotic people outside the city are the standard, and the crows in the city are the standard. The symptoms should be treated, and the root cause should be treated. Outside the city, you can't let the chaotic people come like this, and the head of the palace, Shi Si, has written more than a dozen times, asking Benfu to send troops to suppress it. The princess also let out a rumor that if she didn't send troops, she would go to the small temple of Benfu to make trouble. It seems that the old man can't hide this time. Ben Fu was reminded by Mr. Liu just now, and suddenly thought of the prince of the palace and the Tusi soldiers, can we use it? ”

"Last time, the governor of Yazhou, Wang Guochen and Tianquan Tusi came to report the victory, saying that they had quelled the civil unrest in Yazhou, and attached a long list of meritorious and compassionate requests," Master Sun recalled the handling of official documents at that time with his excellent memory, "Dong Weng has a life, and there are civil unrest all over Sichuan, and the credit cannot be verified." Leave it for the future to ask for credit. Therefore, the student has not been dealt with for the time being. ”

"Now it seems that it is better to get it right as soon as possible!" Master Qian boldly said: "If you fold up, you can let the court know that Dong Weng is not idle in Sichuan!" ”

Liao Daheng was silent. Master Qian is right, if you have a credit, you don't repay it, and now you are being robbed by others. If someone else reports it, it is not a credit for yourself, but a sin!

Master Zhao asked Master Sun: "Isn't there any mention of the son of the world in the report documents?" ”

"On the document of Tianquan Tusi, it is only mentioned that he escorted the prince back to the provincial capital, and he happened to encounter the Yazhou civil unrest......"

Before Master Sun finished speaking, he was interrupted by Master Qian: "Coincidentally? What about liars! Dong Weng, the student concluded that the son of the world must have a tacit understanding with Tianquan Tusi. If Dong Weng doesn't believe it, just look at the list of invitations, and there will be no one other than Tianquan Toast to know! ”

Liao Daheng woke up like a dream, and shouted in a hurry: "Call the housekeeper, quickly!" Fast! Let's find the paperwork below! ”

Master Qian sneered: "Dong Weng, I have to find all the writings of the palace chief Shi Si." Maybe we've missed something! ”