Yongcheng, Mangdang Beizhi, Hushui South Ring, Huaixu in the east, Liang Song in the west, the two rivers are locked in retreat, and the throat of West Chu is set up in danger.

As a strategic place in and out of the Central Plains, there are only too many historical legends in Yongcheng, the famous old hooligan Han Gaozu Liu Bang is here to cut the snake uprising, the first in history to shout 'princely generals, rather have a kind' at the end of the Qin peasant uprising leader Chen Sheng, is also buried here. And the recent historical legend is from the same famous Emperor Yang of Sui, in March of the sixth year of the Great Cause, Emperor Yang of Sui took a dragon boat to cruise the Jiangdu, because of the previous floods, almost all the cities along the way were flooded, only the predecessor of Yongcheng, Mafu City, was safe and sound, Emperor Yang of Sui exclaimed: "Five years of floods destroyed many cities, only Mafu is Yongcheng!" Then the Mafu City was renamed Yongcheng, and the land of Peng and Sui was set up in Yongcheng County.

In such a piece of feng shui treasure land as a magistrate, as the guard of a county, Xu Minlian after the famous doctor of the previous dynasty is painful and happy, happy is that the geographical location of the county is quite good, the county has a whirlpool, water and Suishui several large rivers, these rivers in the rainstorm in the frequent years of the year will bring endless disasters, but in ordinary years or drought, these rivers are rare treasures, can allow the people to reclaim wasteland, irrigate farmland, fish and shrimp and transport goods, so unless it is a flood, Otherwise, Xu Minlian and Xu Taishou will never worry about the lack of money and grain tax collection, and his political performance can often exceed that of other second-class counties.

The Tongji Canal Canal is also a major source of tax for Xu Taishou, which cost countless money and sacrificed countless lives to build the canal, during the excavation of the canal is of course to make the people of Qian County miserable, participated in the excavation of the labor and migrant workers who died four or five out of ten, but the predecessors planted trees and the later people enjoyed the shade, after the opening of the Tongji Canal connecting Jiangnan and the two capitals, it became the cornucopia of life in the hands of Xu Taishou, how can the passenger and cargo ships from east to west have to leave some money for Xu Taishou to buy the road, and the local people can also make a living with this canal, Those who have the capital to do business on the ship, and those who do not have the capital sell coolies to pull fiber and carry goods, in exchange for a subsistence money to support their families, and pay poll tax to Xu Taishou by the way. Therefore, Xu Taishou, who took office after the opening of the canal, of course, loved this canal like his life and was grateful.

There is happiness and pain, the most painful thing for Xu Taishou is the thieves in the territory, especially hate Tian Heishe, Tian Bai She and Zhang Qian, the big thieves in the county, hate these thieves in a good dock and do not do it, but to gather a group of people to rebel and make trouble, but also stretched out the dirty black hand to Xu Taishou's cornucopia of life Tongji Canal, robbing the passing merchants and ships at every turn, making the river surface of the Tongji Canal is a rumor, the past merchants trembling and often suffering heavy losses, but also caused Xu Taishou's income to be greatly reduced, so if someone can catch these big thieves in front of Xu Taishou, Xu Taishou will definitely be able to eat them raw on the spot, and they don't even need to dip in soy sauce!

What made Xu Taishou even more desperate was still behind, Xu Taishou never dreamed that Tian Heishe and Tian Baishe, the two thieves and brothers, robbed ordinary merchants, not counting, but also had the audacity to extend their claws to the imperial court's Cao Liang team, Fu Jiande, the deputy who was sitting in Yongcheng to protect the safety of the canal, was derelict in his duties and incompetent, after the news of the robbery of Cao Liang was sent to Yongcheng, the messenger spent countless hours and finally found him in the bed of the brothel, and then Fu Jiande hurriedly organized an official mission to rescue Cao Liang, and was attacked by Tian Hei Society and Tian Bai Society. In the end, Fu Jiande took the lead in escaping, and more than a dozen boats of grain were successfully snatched away by the Tian brothers, and when the news was sent to Xu Taishou, Xu Taishou collapsed on the ground on the spot, and even if someone helped him, he couldn't stand up for a long time.

There is no way, the fact that the grain was robbed is too big, even if Xu Taishou is a famous doctor in the previous dynasty, he has a very good temper, this time Xu Taishou can't help but take action, and report the situation to the court truthfully, and along with the heavy impeachment of the deputy, all the blame should be put on the head of the deputy Fu Jiande - in fact, Fu Jiande should bear all the blame, and then Xu Taishou can only resign himself to fate, trembling and waiting for the court to surrender.

Fortunately, Emperor Yang Er, who was brilliant and great, only ordered Fu Jiande to be arrested and questioned, and Xu Taishou, who was innocently lying on the gun, did not pursue Zhu Lian's crime, Xu Taishou breathed a sigh of relief, but the words of the holy decree of 'wearing guilt and making meritorious service to watch the after-effects' made Xu Taishou uncomfortable, for fear that he would poke out some big basket that day, which would make Emperor Yang of Sui Long Yan angry, and he would calculate his new and old accounts together.

The more afraid the more troubled, after the robbery of the grain, the Tian brothers not only did not see the good to receive, but also the activities became more and more rampant, almost every three or five days to the Tongji Canal to make a move, but also every time to get one or two lives, entrenched in Ji Mountain, the big thief Zhang Qian also seemed to take the wrong medicine, the same crazy desperate to avoid the Tongji Canal Canal, the frequency of the shot is only higher than the Tian brothers. Xu Minlian complained bitterly, and he had the intention to suppress but suffered from lack of strength, so he had to hide it if he could, and privately ordered Yongcheng County to order Dong You to calm things as much as possible, and even asked the officials to clean up the scene for the thieves, bury the corpses, and pretend to be peaceful.

Of course, Xu Minlian also knew that doing this would only make the big thieves more and more rampant, but there was no way, even if he drank to quench his thirst, Xu Taishou could only pinch his nose and drink this cup of poisonous wine little by little, hoping that he would be poisoned later. But at this time, the good news suddenly came, the great Emperor Yang of Sui actually arranged for the famous little Chen Qingzhi Chen Yingliang to serve as the Zanzhi of Qianjun to help Xu Min Lian Ping to suppress the bandits, Xu Taishou, who had long heard of Chen Yingliang's thunderous name, heard the news, in addition to laughing three times, he naturally hurried to burn incense in the temple to repay his wishes, thanking the heavens for mercy and sending such a reliable assistant to him.

The famous little Chen Qingzhi came quickly, Xu Minlian had just received the news that he was appointed as the Zanzhi of Qianjun for more than ten days, and Chen Yingliang had already sent someone to inform him of his whereabouts, and asked Xu Minlian very politely to take up his opinion, should he go directly to Yongcheng, where he is stationed? Or come to Qian County to meet Shangguan first? As a boss, Xu Taishou could sit at home and wait for his subordinates to come to visit, but this time it was different, just like a person who fell into the water saw a life-saving straw, Xu Taishou not only decided to put down his worth and go to Yongcheng to meet his subordinates in person, but also set off to Yongcheng in the early morning of the third day two days later.

Land transportation is naturally not as fast as the smooth canal, the world is gradually chaotic and dare not take the night road, in Yuxian County stayed overnight, Xu Minlian came to Yongcheng, the time was already the afternoon of the fourth day, Yongcheng County ordered Dong You and Sui Yang Emperor Yongcheng Palace Palace Palace Xie Weiping led the county officials to come outside the city to meet, pinched his fingers and calculated that Chen Yingliang would arrive in Yongcheng the day after tomorrow at the latest, Xu Minlian did not be polite with Dong You and others, and asked: "How is it?" Has the yamen mansion of Zanji Mansion been cleaned out? Chen Zanzhi will arrive in a day or two. ”

"After receiving the order from the Taishou, the lower official immediately sent someone to clean up." Dong You replied respectfully: "The lower officials also informed the people next to the Zanzhi Mansion that if Chen Zanzhi brought too many servants and maids to live in the Zanzhi Mansion, they would immediately vacate the house and live in the temple temporarily." ”

"Well done." Xu Minlian praised it, and then remembered that under his joy, he forgot to ask Chen Yingliang how many servants and maids and old mothers he had brought to take up his post in Qian County this time. Regretting his carelessness, Xu Minlian asked Dong You again: "In the past few days, what are the new movements of those thieves in Mangdang Mountain and Jishan?" ”

Dong You's face was crying, he looked left and right, and then he attached it to Xu Minlian's ear and whispered: "Early this morning, the people of the lower officials found six corpses on the side of the canal, four men and a child, and a woman, all of their clothes were stripped naked, and the woman was also ruined. The lower official sent someone to inquire, and it should have been the brothers of Tianhei Society who did it. ”

Xu Minlian's face suddenly became a little ugly, and he asked in a low voice, "How did you deal with the corpse?" ”

"It's all buried." Dong You replied in frustration, and asked in a low voice: "Taishou, is this matter reported to the imperial court?" ”

"Keep it on record for the time being, and we'll talk about it later." Xu Minlian shook his head helplessly, signaled Dong You not to mention the matter again, and then turned to Xie Weiping, the palace supervisor of Yongcheng Palace, and forced a smile: "Palace Supervisor Xie, I haven't seen you for a long time, why is your complexion so bad?" Still sweating? Do you want me to take your pulse? ”

"I'm about to bother Xu Taishou." Xie Weiping, who knew that Xu Minlian's medical skills were excellent, replied with a smile, and the two exchanged a few more polite words, and then went back to the city together to talk in the yamen.

The blessing of Emperor Yang of Sui and the Tongji Canal Canal, Yongcheng is now a large-scale county seat, and there is also a special reception of transit officials in the city. And when he just came to the county yamen, his cronies and entourage suddenly came over and whispered beside Xu Minlian: "Master, a few young people have been following us, from outside the city all the way to here, I'm afraid it's the eyes of the thieves." ”

"Thief's eyeliner?" The timid and cowardly Xu Taishou shivered, quickly looked back, and after the guidance of his entourage, he saw that behind his team was indeed followed by several young people with weapons, the first young man was sixteen or seventeen years old, with red lips and white teeth, handsome facial features, and a smile on the corner of his mouth, as if he was ready to seduce an ignorant girl at any time, at first glance, he looked like that kind of frivolous and vain lewd person, Xu Minlian couldn't help frowning, and wondered whether to send someone to take down the heavy torture? Even if it's not the thief's eyeliner, he put the case of the molesting widow that happened in Qian County some time ago on his head?

Xu Minlian was still thinking about it here, but the lewd boy who was not a good thing at first glance had already strode forward, and he was carrying a horizontal knife and coming straight at Xu Minlian himself, so frightened that Xu Minlian hurriedly strode back, and hid directly behind his entourage, exclaiming: "What do you want to do?" Protect the officer! Protect the officer! ”

Hearing Xu Taishou's words, the officials next to him all panicked, and hurriedly surrounded the lewd young man, but the companions of the lewd young man also panicked, and hurriedly rushed up to help, but they were so frightened that even Dong You and Xie Weiping hid behind the officials. Fortunately, the lewd young man waved his hand in time to ask his companion to step back, and then bowed his hand to Xu Minlian and said, "Dare to ask this adult, but Xu Minlian and Xu Taishou?" I'd like to talk to you below. ”

"Bold, dare to call this official by his name!" Xu Minlian poked his head out from behind his entourage and scolded tremblingly, "Who are you?" What do you want to discuss with this officer? ”

"This is not the place, please go out to the secluded place to discuss." The lewd young man pointed to the county government and said respectfully: "Xu Taishou, how about I talk to you in the county office?" ”

"To the county office? What do you want? Xu Minlian was taken aback, and asked suspiciously, "Do you want to assassinate this official?" ”

The lewd young man obviously didn't expect Xu Minlian's courage to be so small, so he had to smile bitterly, and then reached into his arms, so frightened that the surrounding officials hurriedly raised their knives, who knew that the lewd young man took out an official document from his arms, stretched out his hand and handed it to Xu Minlian, and said: "Xu Taishou, you can understand this official document when you look at it, but don't speak, don't let others know the content of the official document." ”

Let the entourage step forward to take the official document, and then take the official document suspiciously and open it to take a look, Xu Minlian's eyes almost popped out, and he looked up at the lewd young man who was about to shout, but the lewd young man had already spoken first, "Xu Taishou, please silence and enter the yamen." ”

"Hurry, hurry, please." Xu Minlian didn't dare to refuse this time, and quickly pushed away the surrounding officials, and personally introduced the lewd boy to the county office, and the lewd boy was not polite, and asked Xu Minlian to take himself directly to the back hall, and all the entourages he brought also entered the yamen. The county magistrate next to him, Dong You, and the palace eunuch Xie Weiping looked at each other, but they didn't know what was going on.

To the surprise of Dong You and Xie Weiping, they were still behind, and after entering the back hall, before they could sit down, Xu Minlian had already knelt down on one knee to the lewd young man, bowed his head, and said tremblingly: "Chen Zanzhi forgives the crime, the lower official didn't know your identity just now, and he offended you a lot, please forgive me." ”

Chen Yingliang hurriedly returned the salute to Xu Minlian, and said with a wry smile: "Xu Taishou, are you going to torture me to death?" You are a superior official in terms of official position, and you are also my predecessor in terms of age, how can you salute me in turn? ”

Chen Yingliang reminded him, Xu Minlian, who was as timid as a mouse, remembered that Chen Yingliang should salute himself, and under embarrassment, Xu Minlian had to smile bitterly and said: "The lower official is not about the age of the official position, but about the title, the lower official is only a hereditary official, and there is no title, Chen Zanzhi, you are the Marquis of Xuchang who is personally enshrined by the Holy Lord, so the lower official should salute you." ”

"Fang Xuanling's crow mouth is really smart, and it's absolutely no problem to deal with this timid guy." Chen Yingliang smiled bitterly and let go of a matter of concern, and quickly got up with Xu Minlian with a few polite words, and then accepted the parallel salute of Dong You and Xie Wei, who suddenly came to his senses, and met his future colleagues and subordinates by the way.

After greeting each other and sitting down, Xu Minlian remembered to ask Chen Yingliang why he suddenly appeared, and asked curiously: "Chen Zanzhi, why are you here today?" Didn't your servant say that you should arrive tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? ”

"Business is urgent, I have been in a hurry day and night, so I arrived early." Chen Yingliang answered truthfully.

"Day and night?" Xu Minlian's face changed a little, and he blurted out a complaint: "Chen Zanzhi, you are taking a risk, do you know how chaotic the Tongjiqu River is now, how dare you sail at night?" What if I encounter a robber? ”

"I did, more than once." Chen Yingliang replied lightly: "Last night at the junction of the two counties of Liangqiao, there were two thief ships that tried to attack my ship, but they were both beaten away, and my men also hacked to death three thieves who jumped on the boat. ”

Xu Minlian opened his mouth to stammer, but Dong You blurted out and exclaimed: "The three corpses that floated down from the upstream today are the thieves you killed?" ”

"I don't know, maybe it should be."

Chen Yingliang replied casually, but Xu Minlian blew his beard and glared at Dong You angrily, and said in his heart, Why didn't you report this matter to me? Dong You also understood what Xu Minlian meant, and quickly lowered his head, muttering in his heart, "Xu Taishou, it's not that the lower official deliberately wants to hide it from you, it's that if the lower official tells you all the canal thief murder cases, I'm afraid that I will scare you, and my official hat will definitely be gone." ”

"Xu Taishou, Dong County Order, it seems that this section of the canal in Qian County is not just an ordinary mess." Chen Yingliang unceremoniously gave Dong You another knife, and said: "After I arrived at Yongcheng Wharf today, I inquired about the situation of the canal by the way, and I heard that there has been a lot of chaos on the canal recently, and there can even be three or four thieves robbing ships in one day. If this continues, it will definitely be a big blow to the tax revenue of my county? ”

Dong County, who didn't know how many boat hijacking cases he had concealed, lowered his head, Xu Minlian glared at him viciously, and then said with a wry smile to Chen Yingliang: "Since Chen Zanzhi knows everything, the official will not hide it from you, in the recent period, the Tongji Canal Canal has been in a lot of chaos, but now it's okay, with Chen Zanzhi and you, the famous little Chen Qingzhi, in charge, those thieves have to be restrained a little when they hear the news." ”

"Thank you Taishou for the compliment, a little fame, it's not enough." Chen Yingliang said modestly, and then said: "But Xu Taishou, Xia Guan deliberately concealed his identity and talked to you on the street just now, the purpose was to hide his whereabouts and prevent the thieves from hearing the news." Therefore, please also ask Xu Taishou, Dong County Commander and Xie Gongjian to keep it secret for me, don't leak the news that I have arrived in Yongcheng, even if it is not leaked to your personal entourage, you can call me Liang Cheng by my pseudonym to the outside world, just say that I am from the Eastern Capital. ”

"Why?" Xu Minlian asked in surprise.

"Because I plan to kill the three big thieves Tian Heishe, Tian Bai She, and Zhang Qian within three days, and deal a blow to the arrogance of the thieves in Qian County." Chen Yingliang replied calmly.

Bang twice, the teacups in the hands of Dong You and Xie Weiping fell to the ground together, Xu Minlian had no teacup in his hand to fall, but he was also so frightened that his whole body shrank, moaning and screaming: "Chen Zanzhi, are you kidding?" Do you know how many minions these three big thieves have? ”

"Don't know?" Chen Yingliang replied calmly, and then asked, "Is there a total of 10,000 people?" ”

"Not ten thousand." Xu Minlian said tremblingly: "But there are at least four or five thousand people, I heard that there are about two thousand or three thousand black and white thieves, and there are almost two thousand thieves in Zhang Qian." ”

"Only four or five thousand?" Chen Yingliang smiled and said, "Great, this time I am more sure." ”

With a loud bang, Xu Minlian fell directly from the chair to the ground, looking at Chen Yingliang and screaming in his heart, "This little Chen Qingzhi is not only amazingly famous, but also crazy!" There are more than 5,000 thieves, and you can grasp it even more? Does he know that there are only a few officers and soldiers in my county? ”