Kangxi drove back from Wutai Mountain and came to Gu'an County, Zhili. The second arrangement of the "golden cicada shelling" plan went very smoothly. Kangxi only took Wei Dongting to inspect the people's situation alone. The rest of the guards were escorted back to Beijing by the Empress Dowager without any trouble along the way.

Gu'an County is close to Gyeonggi, and the flag camp stationed is Wei Dongting's subordinate, despite this, Wei Dongting is still very careful, and when he passes by the camp outside the city, he also goes in to explain to the pipe belt. Only then did he and Kangxi fight into the city.

At that time, it was already the beginning of the unitary period, the streets were full of numbness, the shops were already on the door panels, and the alleys selling roast chicken, wontons, and tofu brains had already lit up clusters and clusters of horn wind lanterns, and the sound of selling one after another echoed one after another in the depths of the streets and alleys, and it was endless.

"The customs of leaving his hometown are different," Kangxi said with interest, "and the cries here are different from those in Beijing, and they attract people's salivation." Wei Dongting was in a hurry to find a store to stay in, afraid that Kangxi would be casually looking for someone to talk as usual, and when he heard Kangxi say this, he rubbed his legs and replied: "Isn't that an old store in front?" Let's live in it, what does the master want to use, wouldn't it be good to ask the guys to come out and buy it? Kangxi understood what he meant, nodded with a smile and said, "Whatever you want", and followed Wei Dongting into a nearby "Wang Ji old shop".

"Oops, two!" A twenty-five or sixteen-year-old shopkeeper, dressed in an indigo cloth robe, covered with a black bamboo cloth gown, and the snow-white sleeves were slightly pulled up, looking very neat. He had just dropped the account under the lamp, and when he looked up, he saw Wei Dongting and Kangxi coming in one after the other, and hurriedly got up and left the counter, making tea while giving up his seat, and kept saying, "Why did you go for a few months before you came back?" Quasi-made a fortune! I wonder if there is something in our small store that is not thoughtful, offended two old customers, and lived in someone else's place! I don't want you two to still worry about our old friendship, and you're back! Can you stay a few more days this time? While talking non-stop, he handed them two hot towels to wipe their faces, and brought two basins of steaming water, "The two old guests washed their feet first, settled the house, and then brought food for the small ones!" The words were both cordial and "complaining", which made Kangxi look dazed.

Wei Dongting smiled faintly, he had seen a lot of this kind of trick of the store. didn't say anything at the moment, wiped his face, helped Kangxi wash his feet, and said: "I want a good house, clean up, don't disturb the clutter, let's rest for one night and leave, and pay more for the house - what is so lively in the West House over there?" ”

The guy replied "yes" again and again, and said: "There are a few people who went to Beijing to take the exam live in the West House, and there is also a business Uncle Yang who lives next door to them." A few of them were in Huiwen, and Uncle Yang was watching the excitement on the side. If you are too busy, there is a big house in the backyard, which is secluded and clean, but the house price is higher......" He was still talking in a rambling manner, Kangxi had already put on his boots, got up and said to Wei Dongting: "Of course we live in a big house, let's go!" ”

After dinner, Kangxi walked to the front yard for a walk, and when he saw Wei Dongting following behind, he smiled and said: "A slave like you is not like a slave, a companion is not like a companion, and you are too careful, what can happen to this store?" ”

"What the hell is the place of birth," Wei Dongting said with a smile, "but things can't happen." I have already seen it in the courtyard just now, most of them are people who should be raised in the spring of March, and there are also a few businessmen, and the brand of this store is also very old......" said, seeing Kangxi enter the West House, he hurriedly followed in.

It was a three-room house with a large suite, and there were four people sitting at the table outside, playing riddles with the Four Books and the Book of Changes. The merchant surnamed Yang sat on a chair against the wall, holding a bowl with both hands, and was looking at it intently, when he saw Kangxi and the two coming in, several people were sitting quietly and pondering, but they didn't pay attention to it, so they nodded with a smile and let go of their hands. Kangxi sat on the chair next to him and asked softly, "What are they sitting there like bodhisattvas?" ”

"I'm playing a riddle!" Yang Keshang smiled kindly, stared at a thin scholar with his eyes and said, "This benevolent brother is very knowledgeable and has won a lot of profits. At this time, his riddle is 'born to speak', typing a sentence from the "Four Books". ”

"Your surname, Taifu?"

"Don't dare, don't be surnamed Yang, and your cheap name is Long." The merchant replied with a smile, and asked politely, "What about you?" ”

"The surname is Long." Kangxi glanced at Yang Qilong and replied casually, "The word should be cherished." The two of them stopped talking, and looked thoughtfully at the man who was contemplating.

"I have it!" A Humpty Dumpty slammed the table and said, "But 'Son'? The thin man turned his face and asked, "How do you explain it?" Humpty Dumpty said: "It's strange that Zi doesn't speak, this person is 'born to speak', isn't it also 'weird'?" ”

Everyone shouted in an uproar, Yang Qilong couldn't hold back and squirted out a sip of tea, and hurriedly coughed to cover up the past. A young man lifted the curtain and came in, and said with a smile: "This mystery is too penetrating, 'born to speak' is 'born to say' - right?" So saying, he took the loot on the table—a small silver horn of two coins.

"Wait!" The slender man held it down, and then took out six silver horns from his arms and put them on, "This is the profit, let's compare ,—— what do you gamble on?" ”

"This piece is already mine." Later, the young man took out two taels of silver from his bosom and said with a smile: "Why are you so arrogant?" If I lose, take the money. ”

"Good!" The other three people were probably impressed by this thin man's nest, and when they saw that this new young man was extraordinary, they all applauded and praised him. When Kangxi looked at Wei Dongting, he was looking at Yang Qilong beside him with his eyes, but Yang Qilong was eating tea and watching the excitement with dignity and grace.

"Carry the treasure and go to the court!" The thin scholar's voice shook the room.

"Is this the behavior of a decent gentleman?" The young man shook his head and said, "But—Wairy is the king?" ”

"A little rouge!"

"The old is also young."

"Tired of throwing books?"

"Sleepy and not learning!"

"Yours - what's the 'old road'?" At this time, the thin man knew that he had encountered a strong enemy, and his head was oozing sweat.

"The old way?" The young man smiled and said, "The ancients had people who did it. ”

"Every ten into one, every eight into eleven, every nine into one, every ten into one, every ten into one!" The thin scholar said this string like a cannon.

The young man was stunned, paced two steps with his backhand, glanced at the jaw-dropping crowd, and only nodded slightly to Kangxi, who was staring at him with approving eyes, and replied: "This mystery is good!" However, if you are a person who reads and cultivates your spirit, you must re-cultivate - the answer to this mystery is 'Zungui'! ”

"Hate not to be the first!" The thin man suddenly became very discouraged, sighed and sat down. Kangxi saw that he had been defeated again and again, and he was very sympathetic, and he was about to comfort him, but the young man put away all the silver with a smile and said: "Brother Ren is a man who drowns Bo, my brother admires it very much." However, this time the benevolent brother can only be the second person, and this 'hate to be the first person' is 'qi'! ”

At this point, the thin lifting people have been wiped out, and everyone can't help but be stunned. When Kangxi saw this meeting, he suddenly remembered the incident between Wu Ciyou and Su Malagu back then, but now it has become a cloud of smoke, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. But Yang Qilong, who was sitting next to him, got up with a smile and said, "Both of them are great talents, and I really admire them very much." I also have some money here, so why not fight again, but I want to ask the two noble surnames first, Taifu. Then he took out ten taels of silver and put them on the table.

"Don't dare, student Li Guangdi." Later, the young man smiled humbly, "A native of Anxi, Fujian." ”

"And what are we comparing to?" The thin scholar laughed, "Mr. Li is the tall foot of the old grandmaster Wu Zhixun, Chen Menglei is not comparable to you, recognize a fellow countryman, I am a Fujian Houguan!" Kangxi Yuan felt that Chen Menglei was a little impetuous, and at this time he saw that he was a very bold person, but the word "Wu Zhixun" seemed to have been heard somewhere, so he asked Wei Dongting with his eyes. Wei Dongting understood, leaned into Kangxi's ear and said: "Wu Zhixun was the former prime minister of the Ming Dynasty and is Mr. Wu's respected father. Kangxi's eyes flashed when he heard this, and he soon calmed down again, and was about to get up and invite Li Guangdi and Chen Menglei to his room to talk, Yang Qilong stood up and said with a smile: "The two gentlemen are not comparable, but how to deal with this profit?" ”

"How are you?" Chen Menglei lost to Li Guangdi again and again, and was about to catch a cushion, when he saw Yang Qilong's smile with sarcasm, he said, "You also want to test us?" ”

"Don't dare, just ask." Yang Qilong paced two steps and said with a smile, "What I come out of is the saying - 'tiptoe walking'." ”

"I can't do it, but I'm afraid I will hear it!" Li Guangdi replied.

"Good! Dragon Boat Festival realgar, Mid-Autumn Festival moon cakes? ”

"It's worthy of being a trader," Chen Menglei said with a smile, "The mystery is the 'festival diet' in the Book of Changes!" ”

"Flower Monk punches the town of Kansai!"

Li Guangdi was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and Chen Menglei smiled and said, "Those who don't know think it's meat." Those who know it think it is rude. ”

"Gao Cai!" Yang Qilong praised and smiled, "There is also - the iron fungus wasteland is destroyed in the wasteland!" He asked one after another, not even thinking about it. Everyone was stunned. Obviously, no one thought that the young merchants who were watching the battle were also veterans.

Li Guangdi and Chen Menglei, who have been dealing with the flow, did not say anything this time and glanced at each other. Chen Menglei walked over, pushed the silver on the table to Yang Qilong, and said: "Everyone has their own ambitions, no one has to force anyone, Brother Guangdi and I lost, these are all for you!" As he spoke, he pulled Li Guang and said, "It's very disappointing, Brother Li, please move and come to my room for a drink and spend the night." With that, the two of them clasped their fists and walked out.

"Two of you!" When the two of them walked to the courtyard, they suddenly heard someone calling, and when they looked back, it was the junior sitting next to Yang Qilong, so they stopped and asked, "What's the matter?" Kangxi smiled: "I don't think the two of you can't guess this riddle, but it seems that there is something unspeakable, I want to ask for advice." ”

"Little brother, you're very clever." Chen Menglei smiled, "This riddle is not difficult to guess, but it is inconvenient for us to answer here and now, it is very tricky!" ”

"What the hell is it?" Kangxi stared at him and asked.

"Yidi has a king, it is better to die in Zhuxia." Li Guangdi said softly, and went hand in hand with Chen Menglei, Kangxi stood on the ground, his face was suddenly pale and bloodless.

Kangxi didn't sleep well this night. The sentence "Yidi has a king, it is better to die in Zhuxia" This sentence of Confucius chased him like a nightmare: Han scholars are all saints and disciples, and they must be used to rule this huge nation. I am a Manchurian, and of course I am also among the "Yidi", how to explain this theory? Since entering the customs, from Emperor Daxing Shunzhi to him, the most headache is this matter, scholars have such thoughts, not to mention that the three feudatories as Han people are very likely to rebel, even if they do not rebel, how to cause the world to be prosperous, and to honor the industry for hundreds of generations?

Kangxi tossed and turned, and he was in a trance until the fourth watch, and he fell asleep blindly, and when he woke up, it was past the hour. He got up as soon as he could, washed his face indiscriminately, and then instructed Wei Dongting to call the shopkeeper to come in and settle the account.

"It wasn't you who picked up the customer last night!" Kangxi looked at the shopkeeper with a mustache in surprise and asked, "Wasn't it a young man last night?" ”

The shopkeeper seems to be much older than the guy, and he is not so rappy, seeing that Wei Dongting gave a lot of money, he thanked him again and again, and said: "If you go back to the master, the little one went out to worship last night, and he came back very late, so he didn't dare to come over to alarm the master." ”

"Chapel?" Kangxi was stunned and asked, "Is it a broken string and then continued?" ”

"No, it's not a marriage, it's-" The shopkeeper knew that he had misunderstood, and hesitated for a moment before he said: "The little one has entered the sect of Zhong Saburo Daxian, and he came to invite God at night, and the altar owner set off the flames, and the little one also went to offer some incense money." ”

"Oh...... Zhong Saburo. Kangxi tried his best to recall the stories of the characters in "Romance of the Gods" and said: "I haven't heard of this fairy......"

Seeing that he was puzzled, the shopkeeper instructed the shopkeeper to set breakfast for the guests, and at the same time lowered his voice and told Kangxi: "Zhong Saburo Daxian is the newly sealed immortal of the Jade Emperor, and he specially went to the mortal world to save us who opened shops, did business, and became long-term followers...... If we believe in his old man, we will be blessed and safe, and whoever angers his old man will be punished with blood......" he said cautiously, his voice trembling. Wei Dongting asked with a smile on the side, "What are the credentials?" You don't have to be afraid of being like this - Zhong Saburo is not a donkey, and he won't have such long ears! "Sin sin, sin!" The shopkeeper was obviously a very devout believer, "You're a long-term follower, aren't you?" Even you're in charge of that—if there's a lot of credentials, there's a lot of them, and I know a lot of them. Daxian descended to the altar in Tongzhou, and some shops didn't believe it, so they called a fire to burn seven in one night! After speaking, he gave Kangxi a thousand calls and retreated. Kangxi saw that there was a wind outside, and ordered Wei Dongting to take out a gray and silver rat-skin Baturu vest, and said while tying the buckle: "We will return to Beijing immediately." Wei Dongting saw that Kangxi's face was not good-looking, so he promised "yes" and prepared his horse.

It's time for Chenpai. The yellow wind is rolling outside the city of Gu'an, the cold sun is dusk, a bay of Yongding River, the ice flower glass knot, the undercurrent is murmuring, and the weeping willows on the river embankment are swaying with the wind, making a swishing sound. Wei Dongting saw that Kangxi was silent on the horse, and seemed to have a lot on his mind, so he hit the horse to follow, and said with a smile: "This uncertain river, you can't change your temperament if you change your name, you still have a seizure like a wild horse, and you are quiet like a cold girl at this time!" ”

"If Mr. Wu is here, last night's mystery will be more interesting!" Kangxi ignored Wei Dongting's words, exhaled deeply, and said, "Although there are many talents in the world, they refuse to be used by me, what can I do?" Wei Dongting saw that he had made it clear, but he felt speechless, and only smiled after a while: "Master, don't listen to the fart surnamed Yang, 'The emperor has no relatives, but virtue is auxiliary', isn't it also the words of a saint?" Kangxi nodded and sighed: "Of course what you said is right, but Confucius's words should also have a good explanation." As he spoke, he suddenly found something, he raised his horsewhip and pointed to the distance and asked, "Dongting, what is that group of people in the distance doing?" ”

Wei Dongting glanced at it and saw that it was a group of people, about four or five hundred people, who had just come out of the city, carrying shovels, spades, spades, and baskets, lazily and slowly moving to the bank of the Yongding River, and then turned back to Kangxi and said: "Master, it is very similar to the people who govern the river. ”

"Won't it?" Kangxi said in surprise. Wherever there are river workers along the way, he pays special attention. River control generally starts after the autumn flood and stops after the beginning of winter. It's surprising that this Gu'an County is still out of the river at such a time? Then he said to Wei Dongting: "Go over and take a look." Wei Dongting agreed, and was about to go over, when he saw a blue tweed sedan chair carried along the river embankment. The two tiger head cards in front of it, followed by more than a dozen officials carrying water and fire sticks to escort the road, at a glance, you can see that it is the honor guard of the Sipin Daotai. Kangxi pondered: This sedan chair must be a river, so he said to Wei Dongting: "Let's catch up with the group of people in front, but we have to see what happens!" ”

After a while, the sedan chair behind had caught up, stopped on the river embankment, and an official came out of the sedan chair with his waist hunched - wearing a blue nirvana glass top on his head, and the official robe with eight pythons and five claws was not decorated with patches, and he was wearing a purple lambskin fur on the outside, and he was in his forties, white and fat, and looked radiant. He got out of the sedan chair and stood on the embankment of the river, and saw the people shrinking by the river, unwilling to go down the river. He asked loudly with a gloomy face, "Who is the leader of the foremen?" ”

"Zhu observes." An official squeezed over from behind the person, slapped a thousand children, and said with a smile on his face, "The little one is greeting you old man!" ”

Zhu Daotai pointed at the three-pole-high sun and scolded: "You slipper! I must have drunk the yellow soup last night, and I was fooling around with court affairs! Look, when has this been? People haven't gone down the river yet! Seeing that the face of the Taoist platform was not good, the official snorted and said: "You old Mingjian, it's not that the villain is lazy, it's really cold, and you can't go down...... At this moment, it is also very easy to go on - "Nonsense! Zhu Daotai stared at him and said: "In early autumn, Bendao informed you to start work, and you pushed three or four times, saying that you were three cents a day, and the commission was not enough, and you refused to work hard, and now it has risen to five points, and you will come to this fart again!" Come, drag it down and whip it twenty lashes! ”

"Observe the ...... of the adults" The official suddenly panicked, knelt down with his legs weak, kowtowed, and said, "It's not that the villain is bold, it was ordered by Mrs. Yang, who went to work at the end of Chen, and finished work before the end of the ......" Zhu Daotai sneered and said: "Yang Kui is a Qing official who loves the people like a son, have you come?" As he spoke, he searched around, his face full of the spirit of finding fault.

Kangxi had already heard it at this time. The river worker service price, the imperial court according to the region set a unified price, even in the summer, not less than five cents, this river plain deduction of two cents of silver, of course, to the river workers, but at this time forced the people to work under the glacier. This minion's heart is really bad.

"Lord Zhu!" A young man of about twenty years old, dressed in a crimson shirt and cotton robe, with one corner tucked in his belt, strode up from behind the people, bowed down and said, "The lowly Yang Kui is here, what do you command?" ”

"Oh, it's a respectful year, look at how you dress like this?" Zhu Daotai snorted and said with a smile, "It's hateful that this slave actually accuses you of slow work." This matter of river work, the imperial court has repeatedly issued strict decrees, and when Grandpa Kupilon patrolled the river last year, his brother has been condemned, and he knows it now—how do you think about this matter today? ”

Yang Kui was a Jinshi in the sixteenth year of Kangxi at the age of seventeen, and the second year coincided with the auxiliary minister Kubilong to Wuhu to raise grain, and when he returned to Beijing, he had inspected the river workers. This Zhu Daotai's name is Zhu Fuxiang, who was still a prefect at the time, and he was given Wu Sangui Miza, neglected the river workers, and was slapped by Ji Bilong in front of the officials, and at the same time commended Gu'an County for ordering Yang Kui to do things "willing to show strength". Zhu Fuxiang was angry because of shame, hated Yang Kui, and has always been angry. Of course Yang Kui knows. The surname Zhu is to take advantage of himself. He pondered for a long time, and said slowly: "What the official said is not slandering the lower officials, and he ordered them to go to work at the beginning of their careers and end their work at the beginning of their careers seven days ago. ”

"Oh?" When Zhu Fuxiang saw that he recognized it, he turned his face, bit his lower lip with his teeth, and asked, "Why?" ”

Yang Kui replied quietly: "I think that this is a useless move to work for the people and hurt money, and I should ask the constitution to order that the treatment should be stopped immediately." Kangxi was listening to Yang Kui's neither humble nor arrogant, and he couldn't help but praise secretly: "This person has courage." ”

"Your county order is too bold, isn't it? This is an order of the imperial court! Zhu Fuxiang raised his voice.

"I know that it is an order of the imperial court!" Yang Kui also raised his voice and responded in a loud voice, trembling slightly in his voice, and he could hear that he was trying his best to suppress his anger. Hundreds of people watched them stiffen and stiffen as they spoke, and they were all stunned. Two elderly people went up to persuade Yang Kui and said: "Master, don't fight with Lord Daotai, the little people are ...... when they go into the water" said, took off their shoes and pulled their trouser legs and went down into the river, and dozens of migrant workers also took off their shoes and stomped their feet to enter the water. The women who pushed the cart to sell rice wine were also busy lighting the stove to light a fire, kneading dough and scalding the wine. Kangxi, who was standing next to him, saw that the thighs of the people who went into the water were pierced with dense blood by Binghuazi, and some of them were still dripping with red blood, his heart was suddenly hot, and he was about to speak, but he heard Yang Kui shouting: "Come up, no one should go down!" ”

"You...... You! Zhu Fuxiang's face turned pale with anger, and he stammered when he spoke, "You ...... Eyes are supreme, anti-...... Resisting the Emperor's Mandate...... Listen—listen! As he spoke, he was about to get on the sedan chair with his sleeves flicked, but he was pulled by Yang Kui and asked:

"Zhu Fuxiang, where are you going?"

"I'll go back to you!" Zhu Fuxiang saw that he dared to call his name directly, and roared loudly, "You-you are wearing a plain gold top, and the supplement is gone!" ”

"Come, come, come!" Yang Kui grabbed Zhu Fuxiang, his face flushed, "At this time, after three poles, your brocade robe is heavy, and you are still so cold that you stamped your feet, but you want the people to go down to the river in the morning!" Well, if you can go into the water, so can the people! After speaking, he pulled Zhu Fuxiang, who was already angry, down the embankment and stepped on the ice.

As soon as the river ice exploded, Zhu Fuxiang woke up in shock, and when he hurriedly grabbed his hands to break free, he was grabbed by Yang Kui and almost slipped. When Zhu Fuxiang's two masters saw the county master pulling the observation master down to the river, they exclaimed in surprise and went up to pull it together, the river ice couldn't stand it, and cracked with a "crunch", and the ice water suddenly didn't reach the root of the thigh, and everyone was frozen and grinned. When the people saw that the matter was getting bigger and bigger, they gathered around them and helped them up with all their hands and feet. When Kangxi saw this, he couldn't help but cheer loudly: "Okay! ”

Zhu Fuxiang went ashore, I don't know if he was angry or frozen, his face was white and blue, his upper and lower teeth were giggling, his feet were stomping on the ground, and he saw Kangxi clapping and laughing beside him, thinking that it was the head of the county's pipe belt and officials who were gloating, and he was suddenly furious, and pointed his hand and shouted: "Take down this untrained Wang Ba Lamb!" ”