In the afternoon, the imperial historian Zheng bluntly came to Guo Yongchun with the instructions of the saint, the official documents of the Criminal Department and the handling of the Imperial Historical Observatory.

An hour later, after all the formalities were completed, Guo Yongchun walked out of the Yushi Terrace, raised his eyes to look at the dazzling autumn sun in the afternoon, and held the demotion letter in his hand.

Demoted from a servant to a small official guarding the city gate, he seemed to have rolled from the top of the mountain to the foot of the mountain.

The saint still took care of his cousin Zhao Ning, and his crime of stealing and harboring the maid for his own fun was hidden, and on the surface, he was only guilty of abusing and killing the maidservant and taking people's lives. Otherwise, it is inevitable to kill the head, and more importantly, it is just a matter of killing the head and stealing the family, and the reputation will be left for 10,000 years. In history, the Wenchen who was convicted of playing with women has become the target of the people's scolding after tea and dinner. But anyone who has read some books is most afraid of the words 'stench for 10,000 years'.

It's a blessing in misfortune.

Guo Yongchun's family didn't return, so he went directly to the city gate to report, which was required by the saint: out of the imperial history platform, immediately go to the city gate order to report.

Dragging his sore legs, Guo Yongchun walked for a long time before he came to a small room next to the city gate, which was only two or three feet long, which was the office of the city gate order, and there were still seven or eight city guards resting in it at this time. Some of the officials were taking off their shoes and beating their legs to relax. The whole room was filled with a faint smell of sweat and feet, which was very different from the elegant environment of the Ministry of Officials.

The news of Guo Yongchun's torture and murder of the maidservants in the family has been known all over the city, and every yamen has even posted a notice at the door, saying that it is a warning to the officials. When everyone saw that they had always been officials with nostrils facing the sky when they entered and exited the city gate on weekdays, and now they ended up like this, their hearts were full of joy. And if it weren't for Guo Yongchun being the husband of the county lord, if it weren't for the county lord's palace and outside the palace, His Majesty would have opened the net, otherwise I am afraid that his head would have been cut off a long time ago.

"Master Guo, don't come unharmed. The city gate ordered Lord Wang to sit on a chair with his legs on the case, and he did not hide his gloating, because he knew very well that an official like Guo Yongchun, whose crimes were all over the city, would not have a chance to be used again.

"Lord Wang, the humble Guo Yongchun, come to report on your work. Guo Yongchun stepped forward and handed over the order with both hands.

The city gate order laughed, looked at the order casually, and then put it down and continued to mock: "Lord Guo married the county lord, it is really a blessing for three lives, otherwise, I am afraid that we will have to go to the vegetable market to see you today." ”

"Yes, Lord Guo is so blessed..."

"Lord Guo may have accumulated a lot of virtue in his last life..."

"Not to mention the accumulation of virtue, I guess I inadvertently saved the fairy who fell into the world..."

All the officials guarding the city should be in harmony, and they are all doing their best to ridicule the former squire. This situation will occur, and it is no wonder that the city gate order and these little officials, just because Guo Yongchun used to be notoriously arrogant, and he never bothered to look at these little people, and occasionally when he crossed the city gate, he was stopped by the city guards who did not know him, and he would lose his temper, and when he went back, he would find a reason to punish their money, and these conscientious little officials had nothing to eat.

Guo Yongchun, who was over the age of six, could only bear it without saying a word, he didn't dare to do anything, he couldn't do anything, he knew that as long as he showed a trace of dissatisfaction, he might provoke His Majesty's anger, and then give him a cup of poisoned wine. He was always afraid of death.

The late autumn nights are cold.

The city gate order arranged a vigil for Guo Yongchun, and a gust of cold wind hit, although he hid in the corner, the cold still kept drilling into his clothes. He stood for half an hour, his legs aching, his headache splitting, he sneezed, slowly sat down on the ground, and curled up his body.

"Lord Guo, you'd better stand up, it's dark and windy this month, if someone forcibly breaks through the city gate, it will be bad. We are born as people of the Great Song Dynasty and die as ghosts of the Great Song Dynasty, no matter how hard and tired we are, we must do our own work well. The tall little official standing on the side sighed.

"Brother Liu, my legs are really sore, you can let me sit for a while. Guo Yongchun's teeth chattered, and he only hated why he didn't wear a few more clothes.

"That's not good, if you don't get up again, I'll go and report to the king. The little official couldn't help but laugh, feeling that the money he had been punished last winter was worth it.

"Alas!" Guo Yongchun barely stood up against the wall, and the silver hair on his sideburns fluttered in the cold wind. At this moment, he really regretted it a little.

Guo Yongchun was struggling in the cold wind, and his snot and tears came down.

Why did you kill the servant girl and his brother? She just didn't notice how the ink was poured on his new clothes. Why do you want to kidnap so many women for his sexual pleasure? Why spend money to buy a few beautiful women to keep in a foreign house! Even if you want to take them captive, then you can let them go or kill them after playing, so why lock them up and leave them in trouble? Why do you want to marry Na Ting'er as a concubine? Why don't you investigate the details of the White Tiger Gang? Why didn't he find out that there were spies in the White Tiger Gang who were so highly cultivated? Why?

Guo Yongchun kept asking himself why in his heart, but he found that when he was doing those things before, his heart was very calm, like stepping on an ant to death. All of these things were a matter of course for him, and there was nothing wrong with them. Now, he finally understands that all the peace and stability of the past and the present stem from his status as a servant of the ministry.

He stood in the first group of people during the court meeting, and he sat at the second table when the Holy Lord invited hundreds of officials. Walking in the capital, nine times out of ten, the colleagues I met saluted him first.

However, when he took off the identity of the servant of the ministry and became a small official, he had nothing. Anyone can bully him, make things difficult for him, laugh at him, and step on him.

The cold wind is gusting, and his heart is getting colder and colder, but he can only persevere, and only by surviving tonight first, can he have a chance to face tomorrow. He rummaged through all the books he had read in his mind, trying to find a way out of the predicament, but unfortunately he couldn't find it.

Finally...... Finally, the rooster crowed, stayed up until dawn, and survived the shift changer.

Guo Yongchun's eyes were so uncomfortable that he couldn't open them, so he could only squint into a slit and limp in the direction of home.

He couldn't remember how long he had walked, it seemed like he had walked all his life, and finally, he reached the door. The plaque with the word Guo Shilang's Mansion printed on the gate is gone, and it should have been taken away by the Criminal Department or the Imperial Historical Observatory. He smiled bitterly, and with a thud, fell on the stone steps of the gate.

"Ah, sir..."

The housekeeper was at the door very early, and it was Madame who ordered him to tell him that the old man should be back around dawn. Several family members carried Guo Yongchun into the house, poured some hot soup, and half an hour later, Guo Yongchun woke up leisurely and saw the expressionless lady standing aside.

"Thank you, ma'am, for saving me. Guo Yongchun reluctantly got up and thanked him.

"Husband, don't be polite, this is what I should do, I hope you can take this as a warning and be a good person in the future. The county lord Zhao Ning was still expressionless, not indifferent, but definitely without the slightest love.

"I remembered. Guo Yongchun lowered his head.

"Husband. Zhao Ning turned to face the courtyard, looked at the sky and said: "The little official at the city gate is also an indispensable part of my Great Song Dynasty, doing your own job well is your most basic obligation as a citizen of the Great Song Dynasty, you can rest for the time being, you are still on the night shift tonight, don't be late." With that, Zhao Ning walked away.

Guo Yongchun laughed twice, was silent for a long time, and then lay down again, facing the wall, curled up, and fell asleep.

"Sir, it's time to get up, sir..."

The housekeeper shouted softly, Guo Yongchun was in a daze and just wanted to scold, but he woke up suddenly, thinking that he still had to guard the night shift, opened his eyes, and sighed.

It was getting late, the sunset had just set, Guo Yongchun was dazed, woke up and fell asleep, although he went to bed from morning to night, but he didn't sleep well, and there was no place in his body that was not uncomfortable.

"Master, wash up for you, it's still half an hour before the time comes. The housekeeper beckoned, and several servants came up quickly to wash Guo Yongchun's face and change clothes, and several other servants brought food and put it on the table.

Guo Yongchun looked at the sky and hurriedly began to eat, although he had no appetite, he still ate in large gulps, only by eating as much as possible could he have the strength to fight against the cold of the night.

"Sir, eat slowly, don't choke, drink some hot porridge. The butler wanted to laugh, but held back and reminded.

"Mmmmmmmm

After eating it soon, when Guo Yongchun left, he carried a delicate small warm pot and a silver ticket of several hundred taels that he had bought for a few hundred taels of silver.

After Guo Yongchun left, the county lord Zhao Ning summoned all the servants in the family to hold a meeting in the courtyard. The servants stood respectfully in the courtyard and listened to the lecture of the county lord. After so many years in the Guo Mansion, they are afraid of the old man Guo Yongchun, but they have sincere respect for this county lord. The county lord did not talk much, nor did he make them very bad, and most of the time he was the servant that she brought from her mother's house. The monthly money is only a lot more than that of other families, and they will be given extra money during the New Year's holidays. Although the servants don't understand any big truths, the lord and the county lord are two completely different people, even if you look at them from a distance, you can see that the two have very different perceptions.

In the face of these servants, the county lord Zhao Ning's face was slightly kind, which was by no means different from the indifference in the face of Guo Yongchun, she said: "Everyone knows about the master, in the past, the lord was very bad to everyone, I know, but I can't interfere at that time, and the lord won't listen to me." Now, I give you the right to choose, and if you want to leave, I will get rid of your lowly status and pay you three months' salary. If you stay, I will also change your lowly status for you, and whenever you want to leave in the future, just tell me in advance. ”

"County Lord, we are not leaving, we are willing to continue to serve you. The servants said one after another.

"Not just serve me, if you choose to stay, you must also be respectful to the master, otherwise it is better to leave. The past is in the past, and the future is up to you, but you are responsible for your decisions. Zhao Ning's gaze swept over everyone's faces and said seriously.

"Yes, Lord of the County, we are willing to serve you and the Lord forever. The servants bowed one after another, with sincerity.

Zhao Ning pondered for a while and said, "Don't be in a hurry to answer me, before noon tomorrow, it is the last time for you to decide, whether to leave or stay, come to the big housekeeper at noon tomorrow to register." Alright, you go out first. ”

Zhao Ning gave them time to think about it, just because he didn't want some of them to make decisions impulsively. She felt that His Majesty was right, and that day in the palace, His Majesty had dinner with her in a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, and His Majesty said: "Why should these lowly people be inferior because of their lowly status? The same people, the same people who came out of ten months pregnant, the same nose and two eyes, why do they have to be slaves and servants all their lives? It is true that there are many, many people at the bottom in this world, but not at the bottom should not be determined by their origins, but by whether they work hard and break the law. Laziness and other non-innate factors to decide. ”

The nights are getting longer and the days are getting shorter in late autumn.

When Guo Yongchun arrived at the city gate, it was already completely dark. After going to the government office to sign the escort report to Lord Wang, he took out the silver ticket and the delicate little hot pot in his arms, offered it with both hands, and said: "Lord Wang, I have done a lot of wrong things in the past, and now I have realized my mistakes. ”

The city gate surprised Lord Wang, but he didn't dare to take it, and said, "This is not good, it is not in accordance with the rules." ”

Guo Yongchun said: "These are my family's private property, the saint did not copy my house is already benevolent and righteous, I will take some money to subsidize the government office, even if the saint knows, I am not ashamed." If you don't want it, then I have to buy it myself, because I'm afraid that what I buy won't be suitable for us. ”

"Well, thank you very much. The city gate order thought about it, took the silver ticket, and said: "You can keep this warm pot for yourself, it's late in autumn, it's cold at night, you are old, you can't stand the cold." After a pause, Lord Wang continued: "You just came here, many people are staring at me, I hope you can understand my arrangement." ”

Guo Yongchun arched his hand and said: "I know, Lord Wang, don't worry too much, I am now a person who escaped death, and it is my honor to continue to do things for our Great Song Dynasty, you can arrange it however you want." I'm going to do something, sir, you're busy. With that, he turned and went out.

Guo Yongchun came to the night breeze at the city gate, put on black armor, held a spear, and stood honestly. The one who is on his hand tonight is still the one surnamed Liu last night.

"Lao Guo, I see that you are quite energetic today. Liu Shouwei smiled.

Brother Liu smiled. Guo Yongchun smiled reluctantly. In fact, his legs were still very painful, his head was also painful, and he kept sneezing, obviously suffering from the cold. But what's better than last night is that he's a little bit figured it out now, and he's a little resigned to his fate.

Two hours later, it was midnight, and Lord Wang of the city gate had not gone back, so he walked up to the city and looked around, then walked down, looked at Guo Yongchun, who seemed to be more than ten years old in the past two days, turned his head, and said to Liu Shouwei next to him: "Xiao Liu, Lao Guo is old, you take care of him more." ”

Liu Shouwei was stunned, looked at Lord Wang in confusion, and said suspiciously: "My lord..."

The city gate commander waved his hand, raised his eyes to look at the dark sky, and said with a smile: "You see that the night in our Great Song Capital City is the same as the night in any place in this world, the same dark and dark, and the wind is also the same cold, but the people on the ground and the city on the ground are different, people work hard in some places, and people are happy and satisfied in some places." Some cities are full of hunger and hunger, while others are quiet and quiet. Why? Because there are many, many conscientious people in our Great Song Dynasty, such as Xiao Liu, I heard that you caught a wolf with your bare hands?"

Liu Shouwei was a little confused by Lord Wang's words, scratched his head for a moment, and blushed a little, and said: "That was a few years ago, I also caught it by mistake, that wolf is so thin, and he doesn't have much strength." ”

Guo Yongchun combed his thumb and interjected: "I heard that the hungry wolf is the most terrifying, it will fight with you, the thinner it is, the more terrible it is, it's really unimaginable, Brother Liu, you are so powerful!"

This Liu Shouwei was even more embarrassed, and began to scratch his head again, scratching his head and laughing, not knowing what to say.

"I'll go back to sleep, you've worked hard. Lord Wang also laughed, and after a while, he left these words and disappeared into the night.

Guard Liu stood upright, clenching the spear in his hand, looking like he was ready to kill at any moment. This is his normal state, he often dreams that he joined the Li family's army, served as a soldier under the general, and then on the battlefield where the killing sound was earth-shattering, he was indomitable, regardless of life and death.

And Guo Yongchun, who was standing opposite him, also tried to straighten his chest as much as possible at this time, and the warm pot in his arms made him feel warm, and he actually had an illusion. At this moment, he seems to be the boy from decades ago, in the cold winter season, reading at night in a dilapidated house, reading Mencius's 'I am good at nourishing my heroic spirit', he is feverish, tearing open his clothes, and can't help but yell at the cold wind outside the window.