"Did the county lord think in his heart that those East China Sea pirates were only plundering merchant ships and occasionally harassing coastal villages, and it was impossible for them to attack a well-walled city like the county seat? Because it doesn't cost much, and it's not going to work. ”

Fang Yue's words sounded in Hu Zhixian's ears, as if he had guessed what he was thinking.

Hu Zhixian was a little uncomfortable, and said: "Could it be that the East China Sea Haikou really dares to attack the county seat?" How is this possible? ”

He had some suspicions that Fang Yue was a lobbyist sent by some merchants in the county, Ping'an County was close to the sea, and the maritime trade routes were prosperous, and many people in Ping'an County had to rely on the sea to survive.

Fang Yue said: "The East China Sea Bandits have been gathering in the coastal area of our White Spring Mansion, which is already very suspicious. Now our fishing boats and merchant ships in Ping'an County are so plundered and harassed by them that they dare not go out to the sea, and the sea trade routes are almost cut off, and they can't grab anything, but those East China Sea pirates are still entrenched in the vicinity, unwilling to leave, what are they waiting for? ”

The expression on Hu Zhixian's face gradually became serious, although he was nicknamed "Confused Zhixian", he was not a fool.

Fang Yue said again: "And I heard from a friend of mine who is engaged in shipping at home that there are more and more coastal pirates in our Ping'an County, which means that there are other East China Sea pirates gathering here, and when their number reaches a certain level...... Hundreds of pirates come to attack the city, that is they are looking for death, thousands of pirates come, they can also make them suffer heavy casualties, they can't attack it, the gains outweigh the losses, but if there are tens of thousands of pirates, or even more? ”

Hu Zhixian got up from the bamboo and rattan chair he was sitting on, paced back and forth in the courtyard for a few steps, turned his head, stared at Fang Yue and said, "This is just your guess." ”

In fact, what he thought in his heart was that if Haikou wanted to attack the city, he didn't necessarily have to attack Ping'an County, and the two counties next door were richer than Ping'an County.

Hu Zhixian said: "You specially came to meet this official, what is the purpose of Chen talking about the East China Sea Haikou?" ”

Fang Yue said solemnly: "It is related to the lives of the people of Mancheng in our Ping'an County, although the students are just a talent, but what they can do, how can they not do it?" Otherwise, what a conscience! ”

Hu Zhixian looked suspicious.

Fang Yue was helpless, so he had to change his expression, and said with an embarrassed face: "Students have limited talents, and it is already the limit to be able to pass the exam, so I want to find a future for myself." Moreover, the students are also from the county, if the Haikou breaks the city and the city is full of life, will the students be the only ones who can survive? ”

Hu Zhixian nodded and said, "You go back first, the official has his own opinions on this matter." ”

"My lord, what's wrong?"

At this moment, a servant hurriedly broke into the back house.

The faces of several people present changed, and they were just talking about the East China Sea Bandits, could it be that the East China Sea Bandits began to attack the county seat.

Hu Zhixian's hands and feet trembled slightly, barely suppressed the panic in his heart, and shouted: "What is so panicked? ”

The official said: "It's outside the king, someone found that the king's family died overnight, and the whole family even had more than 60 maids and servants, none of them lived, and the death was weird." ”

"It's not the East China Sea Bandits attacking the city." Hu Zhixian breathed a sigh of relief, and then his eyes widened, "What do you say, Wang Yuanwai's family of more than sixty people died overnight?" ”

"Yes, how can Wang Yuan's family say that it is also a big family in the county, the whole family plus more than 60 maids and servants, all died overnight, but no one heard any movement in the neighborhood at night, or this afternoon, a vegetable farmer who sent vegetables to Wang's house every day found that something was wrong and came to report the case, and then he found out."

Hu Zhixian frowned, such a serious tragedy occurred under his rule, the problem was very serious, and he didn't have time to ask more questions at the moment, and said, "Take this official to see." He hurriedly walked out with the servants.

After Hu Zhixian and the official left, Xia Yue and Hu Zhixian's concubine were left in the courtyard.

Fang Yue turned his head to look at the little concubine, and it just so happened that the little concubine also looked at him, the two looked at each other, and the little concubine's gaze became softer and softer, more and more charming, as if she wanted to drip water.

Fang Yue realized that something was wrong, he was a lonely man and a widow, and he was in vain.

"The county lord was busy with official business, and he also retired."

Without looking back, he turned away without looking back.

……

In front of the gate of the Wang family's compound, a large number of people were gathered at the moment.

Fang Yue was also crowded in the crowd, and after coming out of the county office, Hu Zhixian led a group of officials to hurry to the Wang family's compound, and Fang Yue followed far behind and also came by the way.

"Lord County is here, get out of the way, get out of the way."

The officials struggled to squeeze through the crowd and let Hu Zhixian come to the gate.

"Why are there so many people?" Hu Zhixian finally walked through the passage squeezed by the officials and walked to the gate of the Wang family's compound.

A servant said: "They are all here to join in the fun, I heard that there was a tragedy in the Wang family, so I ran over to watch, there were not so many people just now, and now they are gathering more and more." ”

"This bunch of Diao." Hu Zhixian scolded in a low voice, looked up at the closed door and said, "Go and call the door." ”

"Li Zhutou, the county lord has arrived, open the door quickly."

After calling several times, there was a belated response from inside: "Lord Xianzun has arrived, don't you go and open the door quickly." "It's loud, as if it's being shouted at the top of my voice.

After a while, the vermilion gate finally opened slowly.

Li Putou poked his head out of the door, and when he saw Hu Zhixian and his party, he quickly opened the door, bowed his head and said, "Lord County, you are here." ”

Hu Zhixian said in a low voice as he walked inside: "Let your people handle the case with peace of mind, be careful that I pick your skin." ”

As an old man in officialdom, although he is confused in many aspects, Hu Zhixian is very shrewd in some aspects, and he doesn't know what Li Putou's subordinates are doing inside.

The Wang family was wiped out, there was no life, but the huge family property was still there, Hu Zhixian regarded it as a thing in the plate, and Li Zhutou's arrest was chaotic, Hu Zhixian was very unhappy, and his face naturally did not have a good face.

"Yes, yes." Li Zhutou didn't dare to refute, lowered his head and followed behind Hu Zhixian, waving his hand to let the official next to the door close the door.

In the crowd watching outside the gate of the Wang family, someone suddenly shouted: "Let's go in and have a look." ”

Hundreds of onlookers rushed to the gate at once, squeezing into the door.

The official who was closing the door was shocked and shouted inwardly, "What do you want to do? ”

"Let's go in and take a look, I have never entered the old man in the Wang family's mansion in my life."

"I heard that the dead people inside are horrible, let me go in and have a look."

"More than 60 members of the Wang family are all dead, it's so miserable, can we go in and send it off?"

The official pressed the gate and shouted: "You are obstructing official business, be careful of being arrested and imprisoned and eat the board." ”

It's a pity that no one pays attention to his threats, and there are many people who are bold, if there are only a few people, so many people have died in the Wang family's compound, this is a very taboo thing, even if the door is wide open, everyone does not dare to enter.

But now there are hundreds of people, and it's a blue sky and a white day, so what are you afraid of, if you don't take the opportunity to squeeze in and watch the excitement, how will you brag to others in the future?

The gate was squeezed open by the crowd, and the official who pressed the door was squeezed to the ground, but fortunately he fell to the side, not blocking the way of the crowd to avoid being trampled on, but he was also so frightened that the official was running and crawling on the ground to escape.

Hu Zhixian walked to the front of the court with a few officials, where dozens of corpses lay on the straw mats on the ground, all covered with white cloths, arranged in three rows, and the white flowers looked a little terrible.