Lijiaba, eight miles south of the city, has a series of mansions, and it is the place where the various branches of the Li family live. Although the Li family has produced dozens of people and scholars, many high-ranking officials, and many wealthy businessmen, whether they are officials or businessmen, each house still has a house here, and those who are officials and businessmen will eventually return to their roots when they are old.

Li Changgeng was writing in the study, and the housekeeper came over with a stack of invitations.

"The invitations of all the families in Macheng have been written, can you send someone to send them now?"

"Well, everyone has to send it, don't miss it." Li Changgeng nodded.

The old butler said, "Young Master Chunjiang seems to really have the heart to get this horse team this time." ”

"That's a good thing."

"Master, how can this be a good thing. The reincarnation of Chunjiang Young Master Wen Quxing was to be admitted to the Jinshi as the champion, but he learned about Yuan Ke in the upper department but missed the exam due to sudden physical discomfort, which is a pity. This will be held in more than half a year now, and Young Master Chunjiang should review his homework at this time, how can he spend time getting that horse team. Young Master Chunjiang is a scholar, and it's really a horse team to make a horse team."

Li Changgeng shook his head with a smile, "It's not as good as before, this world is full of turmoil, and scholars can no longer study with peace of mind, even if they are admitted to the Jinshi and become an official, it is not as good as in the past." Although the Japanese rebellion in the southeast has improved in recent years, the thieves in the northwest have risen again, and they have even already eroded the world and are wandering around. The construction of the north is also getting stronger and stronger year by year. There is nowhere to be quiet, I don't know about military affairs, I can't be an official, but the public album is very keen, and he sees far away. ”

"But this thing is always insulting, with a group of rough people all day long, what kind of words." The housekeeper is still the old concept, "If you want me to say, our family also has ready-made families, and there are quite a few of them, even if Young Master Chunjiang wants to practice, then let him take the family members to practice." What's the use of recruiting a group of people again, and doing so much. ”

"Master, I heard that the young master's favorite teammate Liu Jiye recruited forty people today, all of them are group hunters, dismissed post guards, etc., and there are eight monks, this"

"You, you don't have to worry about these things, even if this thing really can't be done, it doesn't matter, young people are accumulating experience if they suffer a little loss."

"If the master really says this, then you just let the young master Chunjiang play, why do you have to send so many post invitations and invite people from all over the county to come to the banquet, it's not that the young master of Chunjiang is too big to play and needs a lot of money. Master, you are too accustomed to Master Chunjiang, I see that this post is sent over, even if everyone comes, they may not be happy. ”

Li Changgeng smiled, "They have to give me Li Changgeng a face, not to mention Xintian's face, this horse team belongs to his township regiment." ”

When night fell, Lijiaba was brightly lit and bright as day.

In front of the Li family's compound, there was a lot of traffic, and all the families who were invited to the banquet came by car, and they also brought their children with them. The carriages were followed by the families of the brigade, and for a while, Lijiaba was very noisy.

The stewards of the Li family stood in front of the door early to greet them.

Liu Jun also arrived with the newly recruited members of the horse team, forty recruits, plus the twenty brothers of him and Li Chunjiang, plus ten logistics, Liu Jun came with a full seventy people.

In the afternoon, I had already swept the goods in the county town, and bought a new set of clothes for everyone, everyone was wearing blue robes and black boots. Before coming, he specially arranged to take a bath and trim his beard, so after the arrival of seventy horses dressed in uniform and newly groomed, they attracted a lot of attention.

Li Chunjiang was waiting in front of the door early and couldn't help but be surprised when he saw them appear.

"It's very imposing, and it's already a bit of elite momentum." Li Chunjiang stepped forward with a smile and said to Liu Jun, "Let's go, I'll take you to see my uncle and the heads of each family." ”

The Xiang Yong of the horse team had Li Chunjiang's own arrangement, and Liu Jun followed Li Chunjiang all the way into the lobby.

The lobby is also brightly lit, and the morning light is like daylight.

Li Chunjiang led Liu Jun into and said to everyone, "Little nephew is here to introduce to you, this is Liu Jun, the deputy of my horse team, Liu Jiye, a student member of Huangzhou Weiwu, a brave and resourceful young talent. ”

Some of you here have heard of this matter and have not heard of it, and at this time they couldn't help but praise Liu Jun in unison, no matter what, this little martial artist is now close to the Li family, and everyone should praise each other.

Li Changgeng got up, "Such a handsome man is the blessing of my Macheng." Now Liu Shinephew and nephew are willing to contribute to the fathers and villagers of Macheng, establish a township brave horse team, and protect the township, I Li is very happy to see. I invite you to come today, and I also hope that you can help them more in the future, after all, Xiangyong is also protecting the township. Their young people have helped, and we old guys have also contributed some money to help them. ”

After Li Changgeng finished speaking, he beckoned, and the housekeeper came over with four family members.

"Li will take the lead first, 1,000 taels of silver to help pay, and 10 other good horses! One hundred stone of grain! ”

As his words fell, the four servants brought up the two trays, lifted the red cloth that covered them, and placed twenty large silver ingots of fifty taels and one ingots on them.

One thousand taels of silver, which is not a small amount, if you add ten horses and a hundred stones of grain, it is converted into nearly a thousand taels of silver. Many people are secretly sighing that Li Changgeng is generous, and he took out so much money to give his nephew to toss some township group. However, everyone still maintained a smile on their faces, but they also knew that today's banquet was not so delicious, and it was not so easy to leave without some blood.

Just as everyone was thinking about how much money they would have to give, there was a noise outside.

"Master Shen Zhuangmei has arrived!"

With this shout, an old man with gray hair but strong spirit stepped into the lobby, followed by several people.

"I'm sorry, the old man is a step late."

Liu Jun looked at the old man and felt familiar, and when he heard the voice again, he immediately found that this old man was the old man he met on the way to Liu's house to celebrate his birthday, and it was the old man who gave him a precious painting of Dong Qichang, but he didn't mention the precious old man of this painting.

"It turns out that he is Mei Zhihuan!" Liu Jun's heart was full of surprise, he had also guessed before, thinking that the momentum on that old man's body was by no means an ordinary old man from the countryside, especially the few entourages he brought with him were obviously veterans who had been on the battlefield for a long time. It's just that at that time, he would never have thought that the old man who had a one-sided relationship would actually be Mei Zhihuan.

Known as the contemporary head of the Mei family in Qiligang, known as the Sima family, the head of the Mei family at the head of the four prominent families in Macheng. Mei Zhihuan, the former governor of Gansu, is a person who really has the right to speak in Macheng.

"Little friend, we meet again." Mei Zhihuan crossed everyone all the way, walked directly in front of Liu Jun, and said to him with a smile.

Liu Jun came back to his senses from that surprise, and hurriedly bowed: "The little nephew has seen Mei Gong, but I never thought that you were Mei Gong, please forgive me for being clumsy that day." In addition, I would like to thank you for the painting you gave that day, at that time the little nephew really didn't know that the painting was so precious, and it was originally such a valuable thing to be returned to the original owner, but only after sending it out, I found out, and I am really sorry that I want it back. ”

"Hahaha!" Mei Zhihuan laughed for a while, "It's just a calligraphy and painting, since it's given to you, it doesn't matter who you give it to." I heard that you are going to build a team of village warriors with the public series, which is very good, and young people have to have ideas. However, your horse team is subordinate to my Mei's township regiment, and it will be my soldiers in the future. ”

"I can't ask for advice in front of Mei Gong."

"Don't be so polite with my old man, didn't you call me Shibo that day, just continue to call me like this in the future." As he spoke, Mei Zhihuan also patted Liu Jun on the shoulder a few times very intimately.

This intimate conversation and motivation surprised many guests.

Someone even whispered to the person next to him, "What is the origin of this Liu Jun, how do you think he is not only close to the Li family, but even Mei Gong is so familiar, it is not an ordinary acquaintance, is it a relative of the Li Mei family?" ”

"The relatives of Li Mei's family are still surnamed Liu, so it may be Liu Jinwu's family. It's not right, last time Mrs. Liu had a big birthday, I didn't see this among the young children of the Liu family. Someone wondered.

"I guess it's not Liu Jinwu's family, you see that the Liu family also came to each room today, but no one from the Liu family came up to say hello to this Liu Jun before."

"So what's the origin of this kid?"

"yes, that's weird. Could it be that he is from the capital or the capital, which famous disciple? ”

Here, Mei Zhihuan took Liu Jun's hand very kindly and walked to the table at the main table, "You and the two of you will accompany me to make this table and talk together." ”

"It's not good, I'm just a junior."

Li Changgeng smiled, "It's rare for Mei Gong to like a young junior so much, you have to give this face." As he spoke, he looked at Mei Zhihuan, "Of course, it's not enough to just say that you appreciate young people, now Jiye and Gongji want to do something for Xiangzi, and they have just built a township brave horse team, you are a senior, and this horse team belongs to your township group, you have to behave in public and private, right?" ”

"I understand, I understand." Mei Zhihuan smiled and said, "Of course the old man has to show his support, Youqing, you are also an elder, how much support you take, I will also take out as much, there is no difference." ”

"That's what you said." Li Changgeng laughed, "The old man's support has already been taken out, one thousand taels of silver, ten good horses and one hundred stones of grain." ”

"Oh, I didn't expect Youqing that you are supporting you this time, that way, I won't regret it, the same, one thousand taels of silver, ten good horses and one hundred stones of grain." As he spoke, he called the chief attendant who followed, "Write down what I promised the two of them, and you will give these preparations to the two of them tomorrow." ”

"Yes, sir." Two thousand taels of silver can buy hundreds of acres of land, but for the Mei family, it is really nothing. Mei Zhihuan's father and son are both Jinshi, and even his four uncles are all Jinshi, three Wenjinshi and one Wujinshi, and in his own generation, the cousins are either Wenju Jinshi or Wuju Jinshi. In addition, the Mei family's in-laws, such as the Li family, the Liu family, the Chen family, etc., are also a wealthy family, whether it is politically or economically, whether it is in the central government or the locality, the Mei family is a famous family, not only a big family in Macheng County, but the entire Huguang and even the Ming Dynasty are considered to be a noble family.

There are more than a dozen people in the three generations of a family, and there are also several squires and governors, and there are not many such families in the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the township regiment that Mei Zhihuan himself set up is far larger than Liu Jun's horse team, the township regiment of several hundred people, the two battalions of regular soldiers and guerrillas, and even in addition to having an elite horse team, there is also a firearms unit of hundreds of people with hundreds of artillery pieces and guns. What's more, this horse team is actually nominally subordinate to his township regiment.

Liu Chengqi's second son, Liu Wei, came today in place of his father, and he knew the identity of Liu Jun's Liu family's son. Seeing that Liu Jun was so appreciated by the two parents of the Li family and the Mei family, I couldn't help but feel a little complicated in my heart.

"Mei Gong Li Gong said that we want to support, of course we have to support. On behalf of the Liu family of Suokouhe, I support five hundred taels of silver and ten good horses to the horse team of the two handsome men. ”

"What Brother Liu said is reasonable, of course we have to support it, my Tiantai Geng family supports two virtuous nephews for three hundred taels of silver."

"The Qiu family supports one hundred taels."

"The Dong family supports one hundred taels."

"The Qian family supports one hundred taels."