As soon as Pang Gang's words came out, Wei Tongnian, the prefect of Qingzhou, who had been standing next to Song Xinghe, couldn't help but let out a slight exclamation.

He has been looking at Pang Gang since he entered the hall just now, and it is also his intention to snub Pang Gang and his party for more than an hour, this is not that the prefect wants revenge, but he wants to see if the life-saving benefactor of his concubine is really as calm and witty as his concubine said.

After his concubine was sent back to the house today, he saw her for the first time, and then learned about what happened from his concubine. But when he told his concubine that this person was still calm in the face of thousands of taels of silver, he was not confused by those mundane things, and he didn't believe in the fact that he only took a dozen scattered pieces of silver, so he deliberately tried him.

It wasn't until he sent someone to invite the commander Song Xinghe to arrive, that he came to the side hall with Song Xinghe to meet Pang Gang and others, and at this time he saw Pang Gang's calm face, and he was neither humble nor arrogant when answering Shangguan's questions, and he couldn't help but feel a little happy in his heart.

Wei Tongnian stroked his long beard and asked with a smile, "You are the Pang Gang who personally beheaded the thief chieftain?" ”

Pang Gang hurriedly replied: "The villain is Pang Gang!" ”

"Hmm!" Wei Tongnian nodded slightly: "This official seems to have read a book when he listens to your conversation?" ”

"Back to the adult, the villain has been fortunate enough to read for a few years, although I dare not say how good it is, but I also know the truth of loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness."

"Good, it's rare!"

Wei Tongnian smiled silently after hearing this, Song Xinghe looked at Pang Gang's face with a surprised look, Pang Gang's calm demeanor and decent behavior made him very satisfied, and when he heard Pang Gang's impassioned words at this time, he really couldn't see that he was just a low-level rough military family.

Song Xinghe glanced at each other in the same year as Tongwei, and then asked slowly: "This time, your Lingshan Guard's thousands of households, deputy thousand households, several hundred households, and hundreds of Tun soldiers were unfortunately killed in battle, although this is caused by the cunning of the thieves, but you yourself can't say that you are not responsible, what do you think of this matter." ”

After hearing this, Pang Gang replied without hesitation: "Lord Hui, this is something that Shangguan should consider, and the villain is a soldier, so he doesn't dare to say anything." ”

After listening to Pang Gang's words, Song Xinghe, Wei Tongtong and others were even more satisfied with Pang Gang's performance. Of course, this satisfaction does not mean that he is satisfied that Pang Gang has not considered this matter, but that he is satisfied with the attitude that Pang Gang has shown. In fact, this is also a mentality of Chinese officialdom since ancient times, and this is also the truth that it is not in its position and does not seek its own government, although Lu You wrote the poem "The humble did not dare to forget the country" during the Southern Song Dynasty, and it has also been praised by the literati of all dynasties. But in the officialdom, you can't do this, if even an ordinary person thinks about "worrying about the country" all day long, then what do you want the emperor and those ministers of the court to do? Speaking of which, the idea of "not being in his position and not seeking his own government" is the duty that an official should really abide by.

Therefore, after hearing Pang Gang's answer, he had another calm and non-impetuous comment in the hearts of the two adults in front of him.

Wei Tongqing sighed and said to Song Xinghe: "It's really a blessing to command the adult, to have such a calm and witty subordinate, if it weren't for the iron law issued by Taizu, this official really wants to let the adult cut his love." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, once promulgated an iron law: all military households are not allowed to leave the military without the emperor's personal decree or when the official is in the military department, otherwise they will be punished with a felony. That is to say, if the children and grandchildren of military households want to climb up, there is only one way to join the army, and this regulation does not know how many children of military families are blocking the way up, so Wei issued such a sigh in the same year.

Song Xinghe deliberately turned his face and said angrily when he heard this: "The prefect said this, which is a metaphor for me, Song someone, who has no eyes and no knowledge. ”

"Hahaha, where is it, who dares to arrange the commander and envoy, that's a big crime!" Wei Tongnian and Song Xinghe looked at each other and laughed.

After laughing, Song Xinghe smiled and encouraged Pang Gang a few words, and then said: "Just now, Lord Wei told the official that there was a wise and brave figure under the command of the official, and the official didn't believe it at first, but now it seems that what Lord Wei said is true!" ”

Song Xinghe said casually, but in Pang Gang's ears, it made him feel a pang in his heart, the cold reception that his party received just now was only afraid that this Wei prefect did it intentionally, it seems that the knowledge in the officialdom is really everywhere, this may be the same meaning as the "study time" in the officialdom in later generations. Is it time to reward meritorious deeds?

And Da Zhuang and the others who followed behind Pang Gang saw that the commander and the prefect valued Pang Gang so much, and several people couldn't help but be eager to follow Pang Gang's thoughts, especially Li Yuan, a young man with a somewhat impatient temper, broke out in a cold sweat for his previous rudeness to Pang Gang.

Sure enough, Song Xinghe then said: "If there is merit, there will be rewards and punishments, this is an iron law in the army." This official gave an order to reward morale, Pang Gang, you won the head of the thief chief, the thief soldiers are not counted, how can this official not be rewarded? Awarded the title of 100 households and rewarded 60 taels of silver to encourage. I hope you still need to do your best in the future, and live up to the appointment! ”

Pang Gang was overjoyed in his heart, and suddenly jumped from a small soldier to the position of a hundred generals, which is equivalent to the position of a small soldier to a company and battalion cadre in later generations, this speed is really like riding a rocket! With joy in his heart, he quickly knelt down to thank him, and took the waist cards handed over by Song Xing and the guards around him one by one, such as the official uniform seal, the silver appreciation, etc., and his heart was inexplicably happy.

Next, Song Xinghe announced the reward for Da Zhuang and others, although they were not promoted to three levels in a row like Pang Gang, but everyone also became a small banner (equivalent to the position of squad leader in the army in later generations), which was already quite satisfactory to them.

Looking at the waist card and seal letter in hand, Rao is Pang Gang's calmness and can't help but have some gaffes, the waist card is made of good paulownia wood, and the Xinjian copper seal is also well-made, from today he Pang Gang is also a serious officer, no longer have to kneel down and claim to be a villain no matter which official he sees.

Pang Gang touched the reward silver in his hand again, this time the silver sent down was not the broken silver that Pang Gang seized in Wang Haozi's house a few days ago, this kind of reward silver is ten taels of silver and an ingot, the arc is tied to the waist, and there are two stamps printed in the ingot. This kind of silver is rarely circulated in the world, and is generally used by the treasury of Shangjie, so it is cast in excellent condition, with inscriptions, time, place, weight, silversmiths, and casting officials.

And Da Zhuang, Gou Yu and others next to them did not have a letter and other things, but they were also happy to touch the silver of the white flowers in their hands, what does fifty taels of silver mean, it means that they can buy a few acres of thin fields in Lingshanwei in the future, and then build a big tile house, and then they can ask someone to ask for a daughter-in-law. This was something that could only be imagined in dreams before, but now that it has come true, how can they not be ecstatic.

Although he was very happy in his heart, Pang Gang still did not forget to thank the two adults in front of him, and he bowed to Song Xinghe again.

"Thank you, little man!"

Song Xinghe said with a smile: "Pang Gang, you will be an official in the future, you can be called a humble official when you see a superior, you have to remember, don't make jokes." ”

"Thank you for your advice, I am grateful!" Pang Gang straightened up after thanking him, turned around and thanked Wei Tongnian on the side, he knew that if Wei Tongnian didn't beat the side drum on the side, he would never have been able to reach the position of Baihu at once.

Seeing Pang Gang so knowledgeable, Wei Tongnian and Song Xinghe both nodded secretly, it seems that this Pang Gang is still a person who knows how to repay his kindness, and it is worth wooing.

Wei Tongnian said with a smile: "Okay, don't be stunned, the official has prepared a table of thin wine in the inner hall, and praised the meritorious celebration wine for all the heroes, come and come, everyone is invited to the inner hall to eat!" ”

"Thank you for your kindness, and I am grateful for my humble duties."

"Haha, please"

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