Yizhou, Daotai Mansion, Yamen.

With the rapid sound of drums outside, in addition to Anton's garrison Tian Jian and the two thousand generals, the three military attachés, because they are not involved in local civil affairs, can have few things to do with them, so they are at ease. The other governors, Tongzhi, and counties are a little uncomfortable.

The big drum hanging outside the yamen is not something that anyone can easily beat, and the imperial court has already issued a decree that "it must be related to the major affairs of the military state, great greed and evil, and strange injustices and misery" before the drum can be beaten, and it must be reported from the local level layer by layer, and those who can go to the Daotai yamen to beat the drum must have already filed a case on the side of the prefect county yamen and the prefect's yamen.

Even Ye Fu, the governor of Yizhou, was also thinking about whether there were any unresolved cases on the Yamen side in the past six months. The new Daotai took office, it was the time for the "three fires" to establish their authority, and everyone didn't want to get involved at this time, make a mess and lose their future.

"Drumming and complaining", Cao Hao looked at the officials with different expressions below, and somehow remembered the "knocking" incident in the capital last year.

Although for these officials who came to greet the chief official, it was a "disappointment" for someone to beat the drum, but the Taoist Yamen was still promoted.

The dozen or so officials were separated in two rows, and then there were officials and others holding threatening sticks, Cao Hao sorted out his tops, and walked to the hall and sat down. In the entire yamen hall, apart from him, there were only two criminal masters who temporarily acted as secretaries sitting in the corner.

The drummer was brought up, and before Cao Hao could ask, he had already cried and fell to the ground: "Big master, big lord, big lord, you have to be the master of the little old man!" ”

He also had an accent, Cao Hao began to listen to it twice, but he didn't understand, but it was not good to show his cowardice in front of his subordinates. Fortunately, the old man repeated these two sentences, and he knew what it meant.

The old man had gray hair, his face was full of wrinkles, and he looked like he was in his sixties, and his loud voice only looked like he was forty or fifty years old.

When he saw that the "big man" sitting behind the case was a hairless young man, the kneeling old man was stunned, perhaps frightened by Cao Hao's serious face, or the people were afraid of the official uniform. He kowtowed, and said, "Big man, little old man can't live!" Whining! As he spoke, he began to cry loudly.

Cao Hao saw that he was just crying blindly, but he didn't explain the reason for the case, patted the shocked wood, and said, "Do you have any grievances, can you hand over the paper?" ”

The old man was startled, and immediately stopped crying, and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his bosom.

Cao Hao asked someone to pick it up, sent it to the front of the case, and looked at it, his face became heavy. He looked at the few governors and counties standing in the hall, and finally his eyes fell on Liang Shunzheng, the eldest of the Mengyin county commanders among the people.

The sweat on Liang Shunzheng's forehead suddenly came out, trembling and slow, and he was a little unstable.

Cao Hao looked at Liang Shunzheng and asked: "Liang County Order, this Qiu Laohan Zichen is a member of the Bali Zhuang clan in Nanshan Township, Mengyin County, and when his son and daughter-in-law returned to their parents' house in October last year, they encountered mountain bandits, and their son was seriously injured to death, and his daughter-in-law was plundered and reported to the county government, but there has been no result for a long time, but there is such a thing?" ”

Liang Shunzheng came out and said: "If you go back to your lordship, it is not that your subordinates deliberately shirk the blame, but you really have more than enough heart and not enough strength!" If it is really a mountain bandit, 800 miles of Yimeng Mountain, Mengyin County is counted as many as possible, but there are only a dozen people, this is really impossible to investigate! Moreover, the injuries on Qiu Laohan's son were not man-made, but falls, and there was no confession that there were indeed mountain bandits. ”

This old man Qiu looked at Liang Shunzheng, gritted his teeth, and was sad and indignant: "How can a good person fall on his heels?" Even if you fall on your heels, why did you happen to hit your braincase? Someone saw the mountain bandits with their own eyes, why did the county magistrate still protect him from being investigated? It was also said that the little old daughter-in-law might be inappropriate and ran away with someone! That poor son, when he dies, he has to be put on a green hat by the county master, what is the reason for this? When he said this, he began to cry again.

Because the Yamen lobby is semi-open, some people outside the hall are attracted by the sound of drums to watch the lively people. Hearing Qiu Laohan's words, some laughed loudly, some shook their heads and said nothing, and a young man with a hat looked at Cao Hao in the hall with an unpredictable expression.

Cao Hao took a closer look at the situation, and then looked at the two people in the hall, which all sounded reasonable. However, no matter whether Liang Shun is really powerless, or he is willing to shirk the blame, since it is true that Qiu Laohan's son is dead and his daughter-in-law is missing, there must be an explanation.

He put the situation aside and said to Qiu Laohan: "According to the "Great Qing Law", if you skip the level and file a complaint, you have to hit the fifty boards first, do you know?" ”

Qiu Laohan kowtowed and said: "Little Lao'er asked the ghostwriter in the market, I know!" As long as the eldest man can seek justice for the little old man, let alone the fifty big boards, he will ask for the cheap life of the little old man, and the little old man has nothing to say! ”

Cao Hao bowed slightly, and said: "Immediately, your official has taken it!" ”

Fortunately, because Kangxi has always paid attention to "benevolent government", the boards in this yamen are all implemented according to forty percent. Fifty boards, only twenty boards fell on Qiu Laohan.

The officials were left by their predecessors, and the old oilmen in the yamen thought that the chief official was going to use the case of Qiu Laohan to shake the prestige of the platform and beat the board to a crackle. Although they have shown mercy and picked the place with meat on the buttocks to beat, Qiu Laohan's screams are still endless.

I don't know what the other officials in the hall think, just talking about Yizhou Zhizhou Ye Fu, he is very satisfied with Cao Hao's disposition. If it is for the new official to take office and "Liwei", if he accepts any form, then it will be difficult for the county order and the governor below to do it.

Now that this case is in this case, it is obvious that Liang Shunzheng of Mengyin County is powerless, even if Cao Hao accepts it, other officials will not be awkward in their hearts. Not to mention, he did everything according to the law. Qiu Laohan was sued for overstepping the ranks, even if others want to learn to act in the future, they must weigh the consequences.

After Qiu Laohan finished receiving the board, he couldn't stand up, and was dragged down to record a confession.

Because of the delay of this "drumming", everyone's interest was a little weak. Some people couldn't help but quietly look at Cao Hao, looking at whether the newly appointed Taoist master was "diligent in government and loving the people", and he was even exempt from a banquet.

Who would have thought that after this time, Cao Hao's face went to the coldness of Fang Cai, and he said to everyone with a smile: "Colleagues specially came to Yizhou, this official is grateful, I have already ordered a few tables of wine and food in Jinyulou, if you appreciate your face, let's go over!" ”

Although this trick is not "anti-customer-oriented", it is enough to make everyone look at each other and lose their heads, but the boss has an order, who will not appreciate the face.

After eating this meal, Wang Shi and Ma Du are very familiar with everyone, what fellow villagers, the same year, obviously a few provinces behind, more than ten years old, I don't know where it started. It's close, if you let people see it, you can't see that it's the first time you've met.

Cao Hao's table is accompanied by two governors, one is guarded, and one is accompanied by the same knowledge. Ye Fu and Cao Hao have met a few times, and they have the friendship of the same family, and they act a lot more casually.

Although Yitan Haigan Tongzhi Yue Xiben is called by this name, he is not surnamed Yue. Yue Xi originally means "Tao Luo" in Manchu, he is a native of the White Flag of Manchuria, and his old Manchurian surname is Xitara. If you talk about it, not only is she under the same banner as Cao Hao, but from the side of Jueluo Mansion, Mrs. Jueluo is his distant aunt. It was precisely because of his in-laws with the Cao family that after Cao Hao was released to Shandong, Yue Xiben also received a letter from the family.

The Xitara clan is also a serious descendant, and the mother of the Manchu Emperor Nurhachi is the daughter of the Hitara clan. It's just that he was implicated by Ao worship back then, and it began to decline gradually. Otherwise, it would be impossible for a descendant like Yue Xiben to come to this remote place and mix with the five products.

Among the people seated, Yue Xi should have been the person who knew Cao Hao in the most detail, but since Cao Hao came out to see everyone in a four-grade official uniform, and did not show the identity of the county lord and a first-class man, he was not a mouthful person.

The garrison Tian Jian was quite apprehensive in his heart, he didn't know if Cao Hao recognized him, and it was inconvenient to ask, so he just buried his head in drinking. He always felt that Cao Hao was very different from two and a half years ago, but seeing that he was silent and didn't say much, he just listened to everyone's gossip with a slight smile, occasionally followed by "um", "oh" and the like, and the rest didn't say much, and faintly coincided with the teenager he met in the restaurant that year.

* In the Daotai Yamen, Mr. Zhuang and the two famous criminals studied Qiu Laohan's case, and they both found it even tricky. Mr. Zhuang has long heard of the bandits in Yimeng Mountain, because there are many natural disasters in Shandong, if the year is bad, the bandit trouble will be more serious.

In the past few decades, the bandits in Yimeng Mountain have been suppressed several times, and many bandit leaders have been cut down, large and small, but they are still repeatedly banned. At first, there were military attachés who wanted to get promoted and make a fortune by "suppressing bandits", but in the end they ended up disgraced and even lost their tops.

After that, few people in Yimeng Mountain touched it, but fortunately, they also knew that if there was a big trouble, the imperial court would definitely not tolerate it, unless it was a time when there was a great shortage of food and food, and other years were still considered duty. After a long time, these magistrates turned a blind eye.

In the past few years, Jiang Chenxi has been governor of Shandong, and Li Fajia has served as the inspector and envoy, both of whom are well-known Qing officials, although the corruption of Shandong officialdom cannot be said to be completely eradicated, but most officials do not dare to act recklessly as in the past, and the idea of relief grain and silver is still better for the people, and the words "Yimeng mountain bandits" are rarely mentioned.

Last summer's drought, the disaster in Yizhou is also very serious, the crop harvest is less than 50%, although the imperial court ordered to reduce this year's taxes, but now it is the time when the green and yellow are not harvested, it is the time when the people are short of grain.

*Zhao County, Liujiawan, Wangjiazhuang.

The Wang family is said to be a big family, and the ancestors have been doing pearl diving for generations. From the eighteenth year of Shunzhi to the twenty-second year of Kangxi, the imperial court issued a "sea relocation order", although Shandong did not move three or fifty miles inward like the coastal people in Jiangnan, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, but the ban on internal relocation and merchant ships and civilian ships were not allowed to enter the sea still made the Wang family cut off their livelihood.

Fortunately, the family has a lot of money and a lot of land, so I finally survived.

In the 22nd year of Kangxi, after the imperial court captured Taiwan, the "sea relocation order" was abolished, and the Wang family relieved themselves and continued to make a living by relying on the pearl diving skills passed down from their ancestors. After more than 20 years of hard work, it has become the largest pearl diving family in the north.

In order to keep the family's wealth, there began to be children who took the examination to raise people or accept the reputation of a prisoner. It is said that in the local Anton Health Center, there are also many children of the Wang family, and there are several people in the general manager and the general manager.

Today, the head of the Wang family is Wang Lusheng, the sister-in-law of Changfang, because his uncle ranks seventh, so outsiders call him Wang Qiye.

Wang Qiye is an authentic Shandong man, tall and burly, with a square face, although he is not confused when he is young, but he is no less cheerful than a young man. As early as many years ago, he was called "Living Mengwei" by his friends in the northern green forest road because of his righteousness and generosity towards his friends.

This said, he was in the living room, although he did not refuse the friend who opened his mouth to ask for help, but his face was a little more solemn, and said: "Liu Er is in charge, borrowing money to buy food, since the brothers have found me Wang Laoqi, then I will naturally give face." Even if the brothers don't come, the seventh child will have to ask someone to send a letter to Brother Qin to chat! ”

In addition to Wang Qiye, there was only a scribe in his thirties sitting in the room, who seemed to be the "second master of Liu Er" in Wang Qiye's mouth.

Liu Er's master smiled and said: "Seventh master, don't worry, the things that the seventh master instructed in the first month, of course our big boss will keep it in mind, otherwise we won't let Liu ask for help!" Speaking of this, he asked with a little curiosity: "I don't know what this new Daotai Lord and the Seventh Master ......?"

Wang Qiye glanced at Liu Er's master, laughed heartily twice, and said: "This is nothing to say, even in front of Qin Dangjia, Lao Qi has not hidden it!" I have lived for nearly 40 years, and I ask myself to be okay with my relatives and friends, and there is no deception or indebtedness. Not to mention that the brothers of Zhou Ji have been in office for three years, to ensure that this adult has nothing to do during his tenure, even if he gives up the surname of Lao Qi, Lao Qi is not ambiguous! ”

Liu Er listened to this, smiled and hugged his fists and said: "The seventh master can respect someone like this, I think it is extraordinary!" But please rest assured, what our big boss promised, naturally he will do what he says! ”

When Liu Er was sent away, Wang Qiye's face not only did not feel the slightest relaxation, but became heavier. His wife died of illness a few years ago, leaving behind a pair of children. He was afraid that if he married his stepmother, his stepmother would not treat the children well, so he discussed with his father-in-law and married his sister-in-law Wu to fill the house. The husband and wife are very harmonious and beautiful, and they don't hide everything. Therefore, the Wu family knew about the benefactor and the people from Yimeng Mountain who asked for help.

Seeing that her husband was so worried, Wu couldn't help but persuade: "The master has made all the arrangements, what else is there to worry about, since Engong is the son of everyone, there are naturally people to help with the affairs of the yamen!" ”

Wang Qiye looked at the willow branches outside the window, remembered last year's drought, and sighed: "Now, it's time to run out of food!" ”

Wu walked over, a little puzzled, and asked, "Didn't the master buy them the silver money for grain?" Could it be that they will still go back on their word and come out of the mountains......"

Wang Qiye smiled bitterly and shook his head: "They bear the name of 'bandits', but they are just poor people!" Every time there is a shortage of food, it is chaotic, and those things that have a conscience are more terrible than the Yimeng mountain bandits! I can give up some money to settle the mountain bandits, but I don't know if Cao En's guild will be on guard! ”

Wu is a woman's family in the end, I am a little confused when I hear it, I really can't understand what is more terrible than the Yimeng Mountain bandits in this Yizhou.

Wang Qiye patted his head and said, "No, I have to send a letter to Cao Engong, so that he will not be confused, and he will suffer a loss!" ”

Seeing that Wang Qiye was in a hurry, Wu hurriedly called someone to send pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and personally polished the ink for him.

The seventh master of the king is a big old man, and he usually keeps an account, and this letter is mostly written by the account office, and now he writes the word "Cao Engong", and he doesn't know how to write.

Wu saw that he held back for a long time, couldn't hold back a few words, and said with a smile: "Since the lord came back from Jinan a year ago, he began to talk about Cao Engong, and now that he knows that the county lord went to Yizhou to pick up the official two days ago, then the lord also went over once!" It is said that Zhao Zhao went to Yizhou, took a shortcut of 200 miles, and the fast horse arrived in a day and a half! Explain it in person, isn't it more careful than in the letter? ”

Wang Qiye hurriedly waved his hand: "No, if the Wang family is just a few of us, it's okay to say, here inside and outside, near and far branches, hundreds of people!" If you know that the new Daotai master has some friendship with me, and in the future, under the banner of me, to trouble the benefactor, they can do it! There was a sentence that he was afraid that his wife would worry about, so he didn't say it, that is, this "life-saving grace" is true, but the matter is quite hidden, and some people are not something that the Wang family can afford to provoke.

* Yizhou, Daotai Yamen.

At the banquet, the officials set off to return, only Mengyin County ordered Liang Shunzheng to stay in Yizhou temporarily to help Cao Hao explain some local details and what he had obtained from the previous investigation because of Qiu Laohan's case.

No, on the second day of the first month of March, someone from the county government of Mengyin County rushed to Yizhou to find the county order Liang Shunzheng, and said a major event, the only son of Du Kui, a squire in Mengyin County, was kidnapped by the "Yimeng Mountain Bandits".

The other party sent one of the palms of Young Master Du, and the redemption price was 1,000 stone of grain, and only gave the Du family seven days of kung fu to raise food, and the rest of the palms and feet of the hands and feet were sent later, and the third time was to send the treasures of the descendants.

Because Du Kui was already in a hurry, only the lady of the Du family took her nephew and brother to raise food everywhere and showed her mouth, and the county government knew that it was now the third day.

(To be continued)