The person was not caught, and he was sprinkled with lime, and Lao Wu was shouting bad luck all the way. In his words, there is a Word! The method of sprinkling lime is the most disdainful use in their industry, but now they have encountered such a non-limit. Lao Wu kept saying that this guy had disgraced their profession and was not worthy of being a thief.

Shao Xi doesn't care about this. What he couldn't understand was how a person who had entered the peak of the fourth grade of the "Imperial Qi Realm" could be willing to become a bandit? The previous nameless swordsman was at the peak of the third grade, but he was so downtrodden, which made him feel incomprehensible, but now it is good, and there is an even more strange one.

Another thing that Shao Xi couldn't understand was that this person was so blatant and unscrupulous to play hide and seek with the city's arrests, why didn't he worry about the closure of the city? His behavior is so eye-catching, so whether the stolen goods in his hand are pawned in the city or taken out of the city, they can't avoid being checked, why is he not worried about selling the stolen goods at all?

In this world, whether it is a thief or a bandit, no matter what means are used to obtain property, they are unwilling to attract the attention of the government, and this person does not seem to care about this, as if everything is under his control. What kind of bandits can so ignore the pursuit of quick arrest and the encirclement and suppression of the imperial court? Could it be that he already has all the information about the government?

The two were walking back with a disgraced face, and they met Zhang Chong and his party head-on. They were heard from far away, "Who is ahead?" Don't you know it's a night curfew? What do you go out for in the middle of the night? ”

Lao Wu was not in a good mood at this time, so he replied angrily: "What are you shouting?" If you catch a thief, you can't even catch up. ”

Zhang Chong got closer and saw that it was the two of them, and hurriedly knelt down and said, "The villain has seen two adults." It's so late, where did you two come back? ”

"If you sleep well in the middle of the night, I will listen to you catch thieves all over the streets. Where else can we go? Of course, I went after the thief. ”

Zhang Chong was frightened when he heard this, and hurriedly said, "How can such a dangerous thing work two adults?" It's good to leave this kind of thing to the small ones. ”

Thinking of Zhang Chong and his party being tired like dogs on the side of the road before, Lao Wu couldn't help but joke: "Leave it to you?" I can't run away from being tired after I have turned over a few houses, and I won't be able to catch a thief in your life. ”

Hearing what Lao Wu said, Zhang Chong asked puzzledly, "How did the two adults know about this?" Along the way, I haven't met two adults! ”

Shao Xi couldn't listen to it anymore this time, and asked Zhang Chong, "The two of us just ran past you, and you didn't see it?" ”

Zhang Chong looked confused when asked, "When did the two adults pass by us?" I haven't seen it before! ”

"Haven't seen it? Just when you scolded the thief for running too fast and you couldn't catch up. ”

When Zhang Chong was stunned to recall when he had seen the two of them, the little catcher next to him quickly grabbed Zhang Chong's ear and said to him: "They can't be those two big black mice, right?" ”

"Huh?" Zhang Chong remembered that the two of them ran faster than the thief.

Lao Wu yawned and said impatiently: "Okay, okay, we're going back to sleep." It's really unlucky today, the thief didn't catch it, and he was covered in lime. This shameless, indiscriminate thing. ”

Zhang Chong hurriedly escorted Shao Xi and the two back to the inn with his subordinates, and called the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper of the inn to fetch water, bathe, and change clothes for Shao Xi and the others.

In addition, Zhang Chong also told Shao Xi and Lao Wu that he had reported the news of the two coming to Wanxian to the county magistrate. The county magistrate said that he would personally greet the two of them at the inn tomorrow to the mansion for a banquet, saying that he wanted to catch the wind and wash the dust for them.

Shao Xi listened to it for a while. He and Lao Wu were originally two impostors, but now they are going to be invited to dinner by genuine court officials, isn't this equivalent to Li Ghost bumping into Li Kui?

The most troublesome thing is that there is no way to refuse this matter now. Tomorrow people will come to the door in person, you can't hide and not see people, right? It seems that now we can only take one step at a time.

After tossing for most of the night, everyone was tired of tossing, so they went back to their rooms to rest. There was nothing to say all night.

Early the next morning, Shao Xi got up and just finished washing up and cleaned up. I heard the bustling and noisy streets, and the sound of the county officials shouting to open the way was faintly heard in the distance. When I walked downstairs, I saw that the shopkeeper of the inn and Xiao Er were already standing at the door, ready to greet the county magistrate.

Lao Wu also walked downstairs at this time, glanced at Shao Xi, and the two walked towards the door of the inn together.

I saw that the people on the street were separated on both sides of the road, and the soap class officials of the county government in the distance were sounding gongs and shouting all the way to open the way, and four sedan chairmen were carrying an official sedan chair towards the Bafang Inn. This scale is not to say that the county order is pompous, but the standard specifications for the travel of court officials, especially to welcome the two "adults" of the court like today.

The team came to the inn. After getting off the sedan chair, the sedan curtain was lifted, and a person in an official robe walked out of the sedan chair. This person is about forty, thin and small, with a slightly rickety body, and looks kind and kind, but his eyes reveal shrewdness and cunning. Wearing a soft-footed head, wearing a light green official robe, and a silver belt of nine pins, but this dress looks loose and saggy, and it doesn't fit so well.

Under Zhang Chong's guidance, the county magistrate of Wanxian County came to the two of them and bowed, and said: "Xiaguan Zhao Tianrong, I don't know that the two adults are coming to this county, and it is really a sin to miss the distance, please forgive the two adults." ”

Shao Xi and the others also returned the salute, now it is difficult to ride a tiger, and they have to go if they can't get on, so deal with it head-on!

Shao Xi pretended to be polite and said, "Lord Zhao is really polite. The two of us just passed by Guixian County, and we didn't want to alarm the county commander, but how did we hear that bandits were rampant here, and we had a few hands with one of them last night, so we delayed the trip. If there is any disturbance, I hope that the county will forgive me. ”

The bandits in the land under their jurisdiction are rampant, and the officials of the four grades of the imperial court have directly dealt with the bandits on their own territory, and there is no reprimand when they speak at this time, this is a group of magistrates who will panic wherever they are, and feel that they have no bottom in their hearts.

Zhao Tianrong hurriedly took two steps forward, bowed down and apologized: "It's all the incompetence and poor governance of the lower officials, which makes the two adults disturbed in the place under the jurisdiction of the lower officials, which is really a great sin for the lower officials." Xiaguan has prepared a banquet in the mansion, one is to wash the dust for the two adults, and the other is to make amends to the two adults, hoping that the two adults will reward the face of the lower official and give the lower official a chance to make amends. ”

The parents and officials of this county invited guests to dinner in public, and Shao Xi really didn't know how to excuse himself. was about to say a few polite words, but Lao Wu accosted him on the side.

"Originally, my young master still had important tasks, but seeing that you had personally invited you today, I gave you this face, lead the way!"

Seeing that Lao Wu was full of authority, Shao Xi on the side was a little dumbfounded, this was really seen in officialdom, and the style was pretended. "I've never eaten pork, but I've seen pigs walking." That's probably what it means.

Zhao Tianrong saw that the two agreed to go to the banquet, and hurriedly said attentively: "Xia Guan first thanked the two adults for their faces, Xia Guan has prepared a soft sedan chair for the two adults, and the two adults please get on the sedan chair." ”

When the two of them walked towards the sedan chair in the back, Shao Xi secretly asked Lao Wu, "Lao Wu, the two of us just ran to the people's mansion to drink in a daze, don't miss the bottom when the time comes." ”

Lao Wu said with a relaxed face: "Young master, don't worry, don't forget that what you are hanging now is the name of the inspector history, and it is the fourth grade!" It's three levels older than him, and he dares to check your bottom? At the dinner table, he must answer whatever you ask him, and if he asks you anything, you can answer what you want, and if you don't want to answer, you don't need to ignore him, and he doesn't dare to ask more. ”

Shao Xi still kept muttering in his heart, this pretending to be a government civil servant is not a trivial matter.

The two got on the sedan chair, and after getting up the sedan chair, the team banged and shouted all the way to the direction of the county office.

In front of the county yamen, the county minister, the chief bookkeeper, the county lieutenant and others had been waiting for a long time, and when they saw the two getting off the sedan chair, they stepped forward one after another to salute. All the way to the flower hall of the back hall of the county government, I saw that the wine and food had already been prepared, and a few maids and servants stood on the side with their hands down, waiting for the call at any time.

After everyone sat down, Zhao Tianrong hurriedly got up, picked up the wine jug and filled the wine glasses for Shao Xi and Lao Wu in person.

After a few maids filled the wine glasses of the others, Zhao Tianrong got up again and picked up the wine glasses. With a smile on his face, he said to Shao Xi and the others: "The small county is barren and lacks funds, so I can only prepare this thin wine and vegetarian dish, and I hope the two adults will not be surprised." It is an honor for us to be able to come to my Wanxian County now, and it is also an honor for the people of Wanxian County. The lower official took this opportunity to toast the two adults with water and wine, and washed the dust for the two adults. ”

Several other companions also got up one after another, raised their glasses and toasted, and Shao Xi and Lao Wu had no choice but to deal with it politely. This kind of banquet is the hardest to eat, and the table is full of kind words, but none of them are true.

As soon as he said a few polite words, Zhao Tianrong picked up his wine glass again, got up and saluted Shao Xi and the others: "Knowing that the two adults were disturbed by the bandits last night, the lower officials were very frightened. It was the lack of governance of the lower officials that caused the bandits to run rampant, and the lower officials used this glass of wine to apologize to the two adults, hoping that the two adults would forgive the officials for the crime of lax supervision and poor hospitality. ”

After another polite gesture, Shao Xi put down his wine glass and asked Zhao Tianrong: "I heard that Lord Zhao took office more than half a year ago as the county magistrate of this ten thousand counties, and the surrounding bandits also began to intensify more than half a year ago, how do you feel that this bandit is coming for Lord Zhao?" ”

Zhao Tianrong put down the wine glass and said with emotion: "Alas! It is said that Xiaguan was really born at the wrong time, and he worked hard for half his life to gain fame, but fortunately the imperial court appreciated and gave Xiaguan the errand of the lord of the county, but Xiaguan failed to make the people here live and work in peace and contentment, which is really a failure to the trust and trust of the imperial court. ”

"Lord Zhao, do you know where this bandit is coming from? What is the origin of the bandit leader? ”

"Before Xiaguan came here to take office, there were already bandits in Wanqingshan here, but Xiaguan made a lot of trouble in the past six months after he took office. As for this bandit leader, I heard that a new bandit leader appeared in Wanqing Mountain more than a year ago, named Yan Song. ”

"Yan Song? Can Lord Zhao know this person? ”