The sixth day of the first month.

The Wen family was already in a mess, and they went to the middle gate together in the early morning and said goodbye to Liu Chengfeng.

Liu Chengfeng was not so sentimental, in his opinion, this was just an ordinary trip, although it was dangerous, there was no need to cry.

Just seeing Wen Chenxi's reluctant eyes, Liu Chengfeng felt a little guilty in his heart, and deliberately made a few words of encouragement with an indifferent look, he naturally couldn't mention the danger of Beitongzhou, but said that he would return to Beijing occasionally, so he didn't have to worry about it.

Sitting in the carriage, the convoy moved forward on the streets of the remnants of snow, a line of only a dozen people, Chen Hongyu rode a horse, followed by Liu Chengfeng's carriage, and then a donkey cart, in addition to loading a lot of required official documents and baggage, Wang Tao, the son of Wang Shiguan, also sat in the car.

Wang Tao is a twenty-three-year-old young man, with fine skin and tender meat, and a little childish on his face, but he is still gentle, gentle when he speaks, and he looks good when he laughs.

He had already married a wife and gave birth to a daughter, because he had repeatedly failed, he was also discouraged, Daming's show is more than a dog, but it is difficult to lift people and enter the jinshi, and it is difficult to take on the family business at this point when he is old, Wang Tao is not the kind of person who is stubborn, as soon as his father called, he went into the hundred households to do things.

He is quite serious about doing things, the only bad thing is that he has to carry a big bag of books wherever he goes, and he must take them out to watch if he is a little free, which makes Liu Chengfeng angry and embarrassed, and he is not happy.

Liu Chengfeng is also a scholar, and he has also made a name for himself, so he will inevitably feel a little embarrassed.

However, he is the son of Wang Si, and Liu Chengfeng also promised Wang Si that he must take good care of him, so Liu Chengfeng was afraid that he would be weak and unbearable, so he deliberately vacated the donkey cart for Wang Tao.

In the bumpy carriage, Wang Tao opened the curtain, and the cold wind poured in outside, Wang Tao didn't feel cold, and opened the curtain just so that light could come in, allowing him to read.

As for the other dozen or so people, they are all school captains selected from the hundred households, most of these people are reliable, and they are all Chen Hongyu's best brothers.

In fact, for Liu Chengfeng, ability is secondary, and the most important thing to go to Beitongzhou is to be trustworthy.

All the way out of Chaoyangmen, there is already a team of teams waiting outside Chaoyangmen, these are the fans of Dongchang, headed by Zhang Ru, who have already agreed to go together.

In fact, the so-called companionship is to ensure safety along the way, in fact, both Liu Chengfeng and Zhang Ru have their own thoughts, Liu Chengfeng wants to see Zhang Ru, Zhang Ru wants to test Liu Chengfeng, and each takes what he needs.

Liu Chengfeng got out of the carriage and came out to see Zhang Ru, the two held hands with each other in the snow, Zhang Ru was full of smiles and said amiably: "Lord Liu, I have been famous for a long time, and I only knew that Lord Liu was so young when I saw it today." ”

Liu Chengfeng wanted to laugh in his heart, and he didn't believe that Zhang Ru knew that he was so young, and most of his information had already been memorized by this surnamed Zhang.

Liu Chengfeng also smiled and said: "Zhang Stalltou has also heard of it for a long time, but he has never had the opportunity to meet. ”

The two immediately looked at each other and smiled, Liu Chengfeng said: "I have to rush to Beitongzhou before tonight, and the time can't be delayed, Zhang Stalltou, you and I are close to each other, and when we get to Beitongzhou, it's more of an opportunity to help each other, so let's hurry first." ”

Zhang Ru nodded, turned over and got on the horse, while Liu Chengfeng got into his own carriage, and the two teams formed a single force and continued south along the official road.

At noon, we happened to pass by Zhaoming Temple, everyone rested in Zhaoming Temple, took some incense money and let the monks prepare the food, Dongchang and Jinyiwei sat down respectively, the winding path is clear, although everyone is kind on the surface, in fact, they have a mustard for each other in their hearts, and vigilance is naturally indispensable, but Zhang Ru and Liu Chengfeng sat at a table, the two whispered and talked, and the topic tacitly did not touch the affairs of Beitongzhou, the two actually shook their heads and dragged up the matter of the reader.

After eating the food, Liu Chengfeng went out to walk around the temple at will, Wang Tao came over with a book in his hand, shook his head, Liu Chengfeng saw him and said with a smile: "What? Scholars don't read anymore? ”

Wang Tao smiled awkwardly: "The adults made fun of it." Just now I saw the adults talking to Zhang Stalltou of the East Factory, and the students felt that this Zhang Ru seemed to have ill intentions towards the adults. ”

"Oh?" Liu Chengfeng looked at Wang Tao and said lightly: "Really? ”

Wang Tao was still about to say something, but Liu Chengfeng patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's the first time you come out, watch more and learn more, there are some things that don't have to be said." ”

Wang Tao smiled faintly and said, "Yes." ”

Although Liu Chengfeng was younger than him, Liu Chengfeng's tone was like an adult teaching his children and nephews, Wang Tao's face was slightly red, but he didn't think much about it.

At noon on the same day, the group continued to set off, Beitongzhou was more than 50 miles away, and in the evening, Beitongzhou was already in sight.

Beitongzhou, the two most important hubs in the world, every year there are countless merchant ships, passenger ships, ships from Nantong Prefecture, sailing thousands of miles to arrive here, although the area of the city of Beitongzhou is not large, but its prosperity, but far better than the capital, the whole city in the middle of a spacious canal flows, along both sides of the canal, rise countless buildings, wine flags, tea houses everywhere, through the canal of the city, both sides are temporarily erected station trestle bridge, brightly dressed merchants, naked porters, and strolling tourists, So that up and down in Beitongzhou, there is a kind of noise that can never be stopped.

The urban buildings here can not be compared with the Jingshi, the buildings of the Jingshi are magnificent, and every street is scattered, but here it is extremely congested and dirty, there are both high-gate mansions, and there are wooden houses built at will relying on the mansions, and dirty garbage is everywhere.

Around this, Liu Chengfeng still has some expectations here, what he likes is to be lively, at this time to see this scene, see those sweaty businessmen, porters, tourists, heart can't help but be happy.

If he came here before, Liu Chengfeng was with a utilitarian mind, and making meritorious contributions was his greatest purpose, but now he couldn't help but cheer up, thinking that there would be turmoil here at any time, and all the prosperity was very likely to come to naught, Liu Chengfeng couldn't help but feel gloomy, and always felt that his shoulders were a little heavier.

After saying goodbye to the people in the east factory, Liu Chengfeng took people directly to the thousand households, Jinyiwei is located in this Beitongzhou thousand households is also quite magnificent, far away from the city, quite quiet, covering a lot of land, but for some reason, but there is a bit of gloomy atmosphere, Liu Chengfeng looked at the thousand households with cold eyes, and then called someone to knock on the door, Chen Hongyu stepped forward first, and knocked on the door a few times impatiently.

Chen Zongqi's anger is still not small, in his opinion, it is unheard of that the door of the dignified Jinyi Wei Thousand Households is closed in broad daylight.

I slammed the door a few times, but there was still no movement inside.

Liu Chengfeng couldn't help frowning, and said to Chen Hongyu: "Smash it open." ”

Chen Hongyu was about to beckon someone to smash the door, but the door creaked, opened a crack in the door, and a sharp-beaked monkey's cheeked face poked out from the crack in the door, this person was obviously very vigilant, looked Liu Chengfeng up and down, looked like he was about to close the door at any time, and said, "Who are you looking for?" ”

Chen Hongyu pulled out the sharp-beaked monkey cheek man and roared angrily: "Are you blind? A few days ago, the Beizhen Prefecture Department issued an official document, and the Lord of Qianhu is going to work today, why is there no one to receive him? ”

This person said in the period: "It turns out ...... It turned out to be a thousand households, and since he was a thousand households, could he have a seal? ”

Liu Chengfeng asked Wang Tao to show this person his seal, and this person suddenly became respectful, carefully gave Liu Chengfeng a gesture, and said: "Zhang Zhen, the scribe of the Thousand Households in Beitongzhou, has seen the Lord of the Thousand Households. ”

Liu Chengfeng snorted, raised his legs and entered the Qianhu Office, there must have been no one in and out of the Qianhu Office for a long time, it seemed to be very pushing, no one has dealt with the snow these days, so even the aisles are full of snow, fallen leaves are everywhere, although the appearance is bright, but this courtyard is a barren.

Walking into the duty room, the duty room was also messy, no one cleaned up the official documents, scattered on the case at random, and many places were covered with a layer of ashes.

Before coming, Liu Chengfeng had planned for the worst, but he still didn't expect that this thousand households would become like this.

Liu Chengfeng casually picked up an official document scattered on the ground, and then asked Zhang Zhendao, who was following behind: "What about the people in the Thousand Households?" ”

Zhang Zhen replied: "It's all scattered, since the thousands of households have been stabbed one after another, the officials have not dared to come to the office again, and no one has come to the school captain to see this, and the hundreds of households have also been lazy, and no one has come here for half a month." ”

Liu Chengfeng nodded and said, "Then why are you staying here?" ”

Zhang Zhendao: "The villain has no other inconsistencies, and he is reluctant to do this errand, so he doesn't dare to leave his post without permission." ”

Liu Chengfeng blew the dust accumulated on the case, couldn't help but smile bitterly, and said, "Really? It seems that I'm tired of you, why are these thousands of households so messy? ”

Zhang Zhen replied: "A few days ago, I was robbed, and some thieves climbed over the wall to enter the house, so ...... So ......"

Chen Hongyu's eyelids jumped when he heard it on the side, the dignified brocade clothes and thousands of households could still be robbed, if they were to be told to people in the capital, most of them would be eliminated by others.

Liu Chengfeng's face is also a little unpleasant, he is also unlucky for a thousand households, just like this, let alone competing with Dongchang to find out the bandits, I'm afraid it's not easy to even gain a foothold here.

After pondering for a while, Liu Chengfeng said: "Okay, I already know, Mr. Chen, you take someone to clean up here, and we will live in the inner government in the future, if there is anything that needs to be bought, let Wang Tao go, Wang Tao, do you have any silver on you?" If there is, I will put it on first, and then I will bring the list later, and the official will reimburse you. ”

After that, he said to Zhang Zhen: "Scribe Zhang, you help inform me, tell the hundred households and captains who still have military positions, and say that this official has taken office, and he will order tomorrow, please come here tomorrow, let's meet." ”

Liu Chengfeng said very casually, and Zhang Zhenying came down.

At this time, there was already a captain who wiped the chair clean for Liu Chengfeng, Liu Chengfeng sat on the chair, and said: "There is one more thing, that is, the official documents of the thousand households in Beitongzhou, but if there is no theft, Wang Tao and others will help sort it out after buying things. ”

Wang Tao said: "Yes, my lord." ”

Everyone received their own instructions, some went to buy things, some took brooms to sweep the snow in the courtyard, some went to clean the house, Zhang Zhen went out non-stop to deliver news to Liu Chengfeng, Liu Chengfeng was not idle, helped the two lieutenants unload the things in the carriage and donkey cart, and was busy until midnight, when everyone barely cleaned up the thousand households and slept separately.

(To be continued)