In July, the sun is hot, desperately dissipating heat to the earth, pedestrians walking on the road, even if they don't do anything, it makes people sweat, at this time, even the most industrious farmers, also find a shady place, to avoid the heat.

On the official road outside Anqiu City, at this time, there should be no people, and a few small officials who collect taxes at the gate of the city are also lazy, just waiting for the sun to set, they will call it a day, most of them enter the city in the morning, and in the afternoon, they are all out of the city, even if a few people enter the city, they can't collect a few dollars.

A group of officers and soldiers, with knives and guns in their hands, shouted a low voice and trotted out of the city, and a small official inadvertently glanced at the team a few times, lazy, and couldn't help but not get up, and didn't even have the spirit to ask.

"Do you think these salts are crazy, on such a hot day, what kind of illegal salt is inspected, don't you know that even those who sell illegal salt will not do business under such a big day!" Holding a spear, a small official hiding in the shade under the city wall said.

"What do you care about, isn't your brother-in-law a salter!" Another little official haha, "Don't say it, these salts are not stupid, although they are also on errands to eat food, they actually pay for themselves on the street, and our brothers also learn from them, I'm afraid they will also post money from their families every month!" ”

"People's salaries are huge, what is it to spend a few small dollars!" There is a sour smell in these words: "If Lao Tzu has so much money, don't say that the sun is coming out, even if there is a knife in the sky, Lao Tzu is not ambiguous!" ”

"By the way, Lao Wang, these salters have gone out several times in the morning, what are they doing, do we have so many salts in Anqiu City?"

"Check the smuggling of salt, what else can you do, these guys are doing this, and even the taxes we collect are much less, those who sell salt, the money is not small, everyone has no less benefits, now that they are here, these salt sellers are gone." If Lao Tzu is in a hurry, Lao Tzu takes off this clothes. I also went to throw salt dings, paralyzed, a salary of one or two taels of silver a month, and delicious food and drink every day, which is much better than doing this work! ”

"Really voted? Are you willing? Everyone laughed, everyone had a hard time getting this life, and who was willing to leave it for no reason.

"Nonsense, don't you see how much salt is out of the city today? Let's not talk about a hundred, Anqiu's salt ding, when he came, Lao Tzu could count, and there were no fifty people, not this latest recruitment, Lao Tzu has no way, there is a way to go early! ”

The sun hung motionless in mid-air, as if it was fixed in the air, and these city gate officials, grinding their mouths, no one noticed that a few people in the city who looked like servants walked out.

The most basic administrative body of the Ming Dynasty is the county, under normal circumstances, a county is only the county, the county and the three people are officially appointed by the imperial court, this is the official, those officials, documents and the like, are invited by the county or even these three out of their own pockets, this is called the official official, but a county, relying on this limited funds, these small officials, are far from being managed, therefore, each of these small officials has a few helpers and the like, officially relying on these people, the entire management agency will run smoothly.

The few errands who came over, dressed in soap clothes, are the officials, compared to these officials at the city gate, their status is much higher, and no one is willing to do this thing to guard the city gate, and there may be these officials among these people.

Sure enough, as soon as a few errand officers walked in, a few city gate officials who were talking nonsense saw a few of them at a glance, and immediately greeted them warmly: "Lord Liu, are you going out of the city on business?" ”

"Well, go out, why do you want so many people here, leave one person, the rest of the people come with me, paralyzed, such a hot weather, it's not safe, and the bad man has to go out of the city!" That Lord Liu was none other than Liu Yong, the head of the county's official team, who took off the hat on his head and fanned the cool breeze while chattering.

Several city gate officials leaned over, and one of them asked flatteringly: "What is the matter, you have to work your lord to go out in person, and if the affairs outside the city can't be handled by the local people, just ask a few brothers to go out and have a look!" ”

"You know a!" Liu Yong scolded with a smile: "The kid who came to report to the official in Bali Village was so frightened that his face turned white, a big case with a few lives, Lao Tzu didn't go, you went?" ”

"How many lives!?" The city gate official stuck out his tongue, "Then you have to hurry up, otherwise, at night, this corpse will stink, aren't the people in Bali Village quite responsible, why is it so big to toss all at once?" ”

"It's none of their business, the salt Ding of the Inspection Department did it, it is said that a group of smugglers were caught, and several people died at once, let's go over, that is, to meet the situation, go through the motions, it's hot, alas!"

A group of people, walking and stopping, walked for almost an hour, before arriving at this Bali Village, this Bali Village is eight miles away from Anqiu County, hence the name, everyone has not been here on weekdays, but this has not yet entered the village, only to the entrance of the village, was startled by the scene in front of them.

Under the big crooked neck locust tree at the head of the village, at this time, there should be some women who enjoy the cool summer and some half-old children dragging their noses and playing there, but at this moment, these idlers who should be seen did not see any of them, under the big locust tree, but there is a row of door panels, on the door panels, are all bloody corpses, the faces of the corpses, probably Li Zheng asked the villagers to cover them with some mats, but they can't see the face.

Not far from the corpse, an old man with a sad face, sitting there, the corpse had been there for about a while, and there were already some buzzing flies on the mat that began to fly, in such a hot weather, this situation actually made people a little gloomy, and a cold body.

"Old Wangtou, these are the smugglers?" Liu Yong stepped forward and said to the old man, and the people behind him glanced at each other a few times and hurriedly followed.

"Yes, Lord Liu, you're finally here!" The old man with a sad face replied, he is the leader of this Bali Village, and he doesn't know how many years, there have not been so many dead people near Bali Village, even when fighting with neighboring villages for water sources, although there are hundreds of people at every turn, but there are few who have really lost their lives!

Liu Yong ignored him, lifted the mat on the nearest door panel, and it seemed that the corpse's blood had probably been drained clean, and the whole body was a bluish white, close to the neck, a huge wound was very conspicuous, it seemed that this was a fatal injury.

"The spear stabbed to death, it was those salters who did it!" Liu Yong nodded, and said to the errand who spoke: "The salters seem to be all spears, but there are not many who use knives and axes!" ”

As he spoke, he lifted the covered mats and turned over to the middle one, and he couldn't help but let out a soft "huh".

"Isn't this Na Ding Xiaoyi? I saw him in the gambling house the day before yesterday, he is also a smuggler of salt, this is too nonsense, he is the guy of the high salt stack" An errand came over to take a look, and couldn't help but wonder.

"Old Wangtou, what about those messengers from the Inspection Division?" Liu Yong looked at the corpse and looked up and asked. In this case, there is no need to even do it, everyone can see that it was killed by weapons, and now as long as they face off with the people of the inspection department and do a good job of paperwork, these errand soldiers are basically not a big deal.

The old king pointed to the head of the village, "Where is it inside?" ”

"Team Fang, oops, it's a lottery!" Liu Yong followed Lao Wangtou to a private house in the village, and saw a familiar face in front of him, and Yan Ding's team was leaving.

"I'm going to trouble Liu Bantou and all the brothers!" Fang Li raised his hand: "A little injury, it's not in the way!" ”

"Come on, Team Fang, borrow a step to speak!" Liu Yong smiled and pulled him aside.

"Team Fang, you guys are making too much noise, seven or eight died at once, which makes people panic! I'm afraid I still have to do it with your inspection department, my brother's shoulders are too narrow, and I can't afford this thing! ”

"It's okay, Liu Bantou can do business, do what you have to do, how can it be difficult to make Liu Bantou difficult!"

"The problem is, among the people who died today are the people of the high salt stack! Our county master and Boss Gao have a good relationship, will it be too much to do this? By the way, your brother didn't lose anything, did he?"

"Lao Liu is concerned, these little minions, our brothers can still deal with it, you can rest assured, your brother-in-law went to Lingshan, and he also had to practice for a few months before he came down to run an errand, if he couldn't practice, he would come out on an errand, wouldn't it hurt him!"

"Then I'll rest assured, I'll just report back to the eldest master!"

"Well, go ahead! Your brother-in-law is lucky, it was our adults who nodded and entered the inspection department, and when the time comes, you don't want to be compared to your brother-in-law, and when you see your brother-in-law, you have to call your adult! Fang Li laughed.

"you, he is just a first-class master, or Lao Tzu's brother-in-law, when Lao Tzu wants to beat his sister, he will beat his sister!" Liu Yong smacked Fang Li, smiled and walked away.

No one knew how shocked he was when he smiled. It is said that the people who transport the salt are all men with skills in their hands, and they were stabbed to death by these unremarkable salters at once, and none of the salters died, doesn't this mean that these salters are more fierce than these heroes in the rivers and lakes? That Ding Xiaoyi was also unlucky, I don't know how to lose my life, you said that you are a leader of the way, just run away when you see this thing, are you better than others? Alas!

"Team Zheng, come over for dinner!" A salt dick shouted.

"Team Zheng, this time you are majestic, you killed two with your own hands, and when you look back, you ask, this is a great achievement, come, eat more!" Yan Ding diligently persuaded.

"Adults don't care about this little thing!" Fang Li said a little smugly: "It's all brothers who are brave, I will definitely report it truthfully, and everyone must be rewarded by adults!" ”

As he spoke, his thoughts drifted away, at this time, what are the adults doing? In the evening, I will go back and report the events of the day to the adults, and the adults will praise me a few words!