Hearing this, dozens of brilliant officials in front of the flower hall, from political envoys, envoys to various departments, as well as a large group of criminal names, money and grain masters, and more than a dozen gentry and seniors in the provincial capital, all of them were distracted, looked at each other and stopped and stood up, not knowing what bad luck this sticky and greasy passer-by was looking for. Nuo Min nodded slightly to Tu Lichen, who was sitting firmly in chief, and hurriedly got up and left the seat, also with a panicked face. Tu Lichen realized that Tian Wenjing had really committed many evils in Taiyuan. He remained silent, groaning with a wine glass, only to see Tian Wenjing hurriedly coming in wearing a heron supplement suit and a white nirvana glass top.

"I heard that Lord Chinchatu has arrived?" Tian Wenjing and Nuo Min looked at each other, and their eyes flashed away when they met. Tian Wenjing glanced at everyone and asked, "Is it here?" Let the officials knock on St. Ann! Only then did Tu Lichen see that Tian Wenjing's eyes were short-sighted, and he couldn't see clearly when he was sitting in the middle in a yellow coat, so he smiled and got up and said, "I am Tu Lichen." Tian Wenjing turned around at this time, took a step forward, shook the horse's hooves and knelt down on his knees, and said in a loud voice: "Qin Cha West Road Decree Envoy Tian Wenjing knocks on Qin Cha Shanxi Decree Envoy Tu Lichen!" Chenda Wenjing, please St. Ann! ”

Chin cha knock Chin cha! This would have been true, but it was indeed a superfluous statement. Everyone saw that Tian Wenjing looked like he didn't care about the strength of the world, and they didn't dare to laugh. For a while, there was no sound at the huge feast, only to hear the sound of firecrackers like boiling gruel outside the yamen in the distance faintly - it was the time to miss the third watch, and it was the fifteenth hour of the first month. Tu Lichen was also stunned by Tian Wenjing, but he held a lot of power with Tianxian in his mouth at this time, where did he put Tian Wenjing in his eyes? After a pause, he said coldly: "Holy bow! Chinchaturi Chen is ashamed to receive your great gift—don't be busy, there is a message to ask you! ”

"Listen to the oracle!"

"I asked Tian Wenjing," Tu Lichen said, "Tian Wenjing is a small official of the Beijing Division, and he was ordered to deliver the decree to the Xidaying Nian Qianyao. The original department was a special errand, and he did not follow the way to collect wind and interfere in local government affairs, why did he have nothing to do, and vainly played Shanxi Governor Nuo Min to be greedy and invite favors, and flattered today? Is I the one who can be deceived? After saying that, he stared at Tian Wenjing. Tian Wenjing was calm, kowtowed and replied: "The minister's order to go west was originally a special errand, but the original household department has been repeatedly ordered to clean up the finances of Shanxi, Zhili, Shandong, and Henan provinces within a time limit, and the will has been recorded and handed over to the emperor for storage. It was a minister who intervened in the case of Shanxi's deficit, not as a Qincha to intervene, but as an official of the household department to inspect the Shanxi domain. There is a huge disparity between the position of the minister and Nuo Min and there is no vendetta, because the lord is not a deceitful lord, he does not dare to derelict his duties and indulge in it, and begs the saint to go to the cave to see the candle! ”

This was so unexpected that even Nuo Min couldn't help but be stunned, and his face suddenly turned red, and he wanted to interject and ask, "Why didn't you say earlier that you were checking as a member of the household department"? But now Tu Lichen is asking questions on behalf of the Son of Heaven, no matter who interjects, he is a bully, so he has to swallow a mouthful of saliva, staring at this thorny official who came to Shanxi for no reason to stir up trouble, and the fire in his heart arched upwards one after another. Tu Lichen was also surprised, but at this time, he could only ask according to the order, because he said: "Now Shanxi Tong Province has made up for the deficit, and once it has been investigated, can the bank account match?" ”

"Not bad!"

"Since there is no penny," Tu Lichen recited Yongzheng's original words, "What is the reason for you to slander people's reputation for no reason?" What is sincerity? It proves that my promise to Min is the world's first minister, and it is not wrong. If Nuo Min has a trace of deception, I will have no shame to care for the world! Ask Ertian Wenjing, what else do you have to say to me? After reciting, his eyes were aggressive, and he stared at Tian Wenjing silently.

Tian Wenjing licked his lips, Yongzheng's words were so fierce that neither he nor Wu Sidao expected, and protecting Nuo Min to this point was even more unexpected, if he continued to argue, it would not be against Nuo Min, but directly slap Yongzheng's face. Tian Wenjing pondered for a long time, kowtowed and replied: "The minister is ignorant. Nuo Min is indeed the 'No. 1 minister in the world', long live and ask so far, what else can the minister say? Fu Wei Holy Judge! ”

"Come!" Tu Lichen's eyes burned, and he shouted, "Get rid of Tian Wenjing!" ”

"Piercing!"

The two soldiers said yes and stepped forward. Tian Wenjing waved his hand, turned white with both hands, unscrewed the knob on the top of the Nirvana glass, and handed it over.

"Lord Tian," Tu Lichen smiled slightly, and personally stepped forward to pick up Tian Wenjing with both hands, "Don't be so upset." There are thousands of theories about the dismissal of the messenger and the removal of the top, the ups and downs of the sea are ordinary things, and the crown can be used as a companion. Come, and eat wine, I'm shocked for the adults! Nuo Min was busy pouring wine, holding it in both hands to give it to Tian Wenjing, and said with a smile: "Wenjing, it has been more than a month since Jin, and he has lost the way of the master!" Come to think of it, it's just a nightmare, as if it were yesterday. Here the Lord can testify that the brother's strict rebuke by the Holy Lord's decree is not a brother's slander...... It is expected that Wen Jing will return to Beijing, and the imperial court must still have a will. Tian Wenjing listened to Nuo Min's false persuasion, and without saying a word, he took the wine glass, drank it all, and showed the bottom of the glass to everyone. walked to the first table and sat on stilts, with a look full of indifference, Tu Lichen saw him so bold, his heart moved in an instant, and a thought flashed: "This person is heroic!" But Nuo Min was so happy that he was drunk, and he walked around in circles with his hands behind his back, just wanting to laugh and being afraid of losing his temper, and everyone thought that he was searching for dry intestines to compose poems, but when they saw him wave his hand, he said, "Put the big firecrackers away!" Set off fireworks! ”

With the "bang" of firecrackers sounding one after another, twelve boxes of fireworks sprayed flowers and sprayed mist streamers, reflecting the colorful surface of the table. A round moon spreads the silver light veil to the earth, and in the mist and light sits this group of officials and gentry with different thoughts to persuade and drink, which is also very interesting.

The wine was hot, and the words of the people gradually increased. At the beginning, they talked about antiques, Shang Yi, Zhou Ding, Qin bricks, Han tiles, and then some people talked about the rhythm, what is one gas, two bodies, three categories, four things, five sounds, six laws, seven tones, eight winds and nine songs, and they said it with saliva and splatter. However, the chief table of Nuo Min, Tian Wenjing and Tu Lichen, one had nothing to talk about, one didn't want to talk, and the other didn't want to talk, and each put his cup to the moon.

"Why are the three adults sitting still?" A drunken county magistrate came up with a hurry, poured wine for the three of them one by one, and said, "Great happy day...... Two chinchas—uh! How to eat dry wine? I...... I'll tell you a joke...... Joke! As he spoke, he stared at Tian Wenjing. When Tian Wenjing saw it, it was Pan Gui of Baishan County, and this time he cleaned up the deficit, and the first one was cleared on his head, knowing that he must be here to ridicule and mock, and said with a smile: "People say that climbing high is noble, and you pour two words 'Pan Gui' (Pan Gui) to account for all." But I'm not 'expensive' anymore, and any jokes should be just a joke. Pan Gui pretended to be crazy with wine and said, "My lord, I said...... It's true! Well...... I have a hair department in the fifty-seventh year of Kangxi, from Puyang, missed the stay, the front of the village and the back of the shop, so I had to sleep on a mound, I didn't want to meet a ghost! ”

Speaking of which, Pan Gui is already articulate and no longer stammering. When the people in the room heard that the tiger was talking about ghosts, they all stopped talking. I only heard Pan Gui say: "At that time, it was July 15, it was already cold at night, and I woke up in the second half of the night......

"I think, at such an hour, there are still people working hard? When I looked up, there were four people sitting on the beach west of the bridge, one was about fifty years old, one was in his forties, and two were between eighteen and nineteen, all with sour faces. The old one said: 'Yesterday's wind and rain failed, tonight the moonlight is good, let's write a few essays on the topic, try the level!' The three men said, 'Done'! So the old man took out a few paper balls from the pages of his boots and distributed them to three people, who closed their eyes and raised their eyebrows, shook their heads and scratched their ears to think about solving the problem. At this time, a gust of wind blew, and I shuddered, knowing in my heart that they must not be human, but I also wanted to hear their current writings, maybe they could be used on the field.

"After about a meal, I heard the old man sigh and say: 'Today's writing machine is dull, and I only want to come up with a good break, what can I do?' A few ghosts also chimed in, 'Really, tonight, somehow, I just want to come up with a solution, and I can't do it anymore.' ’

"I thought that this must be the ghost who lit up the question of my examination room, and I paid attention to it, and I caught a glimpse of the old man taking the middle-aged man's paper and reading, 'Well, good! - 'Look at the reason for it, look at the reason, look at the peace and the people are good!' "Wonderful!'

"What's so wonderful about this time text? I was suspicious in my heart, and while I was perplexed, the old man commented, 'The first sentence is the same as what the hero sees, but the second sentence seems to be missing, and you listen to me—'Look at the reason for it, and look at the safety and thin'—how about it?' ’

The group of ghosts immediately made a loud noise, applauding and admiring. The old man smiled and said, 'The reason why you have been in the fifth class for a long time in life, and I am like being attached to the end of the fourth class, is because I have no righteous ears left in the essay question. Listening to his two bullshit problems, and still complacent, I covered the quilt and laughed secretly. Then I heard the old man ask the two young ghosts, 'You are in your youth, and you are quick-witted, how can you drag the white scroll upside down?' A young ghost said, 'How can I compare with a teacher?' You are the person who went to the examination room three times, although you are not serious about gaining fame, in the end you also got a top to wear, I am afraid of the exam, and I have to drill into the pile of money, and I can still take care of the composition? ’

"As he spoke, the two young ghosts took out a large pile of golden money from the sand and said, 'It is a good ghost to have the ability to make money, who is talking about articles in this world?'

"Hearing this, I couldn't help it, I stretched my neck and stood up and shouted, 'Xuezheng is here, whether it is a person or a ghost, it will be determined by the article!' …… I'll regret it after shouting, what if these four ghosts drag me into the water, how will I deal with it? I didn't expect that when the four of them heard that no matter how human or ghost, they were all destined for the article, they were so frightened that they froze to the ground, their faces were as dead as ashes, and their bodies trembled and turned into a black mist and disappeared - I thought they had made money out of the treasury, and when I walked up to it, I was so embarrassed that it was some fucking paper money! ”

When Pan Gui said this, he stared at Tian Wenjing with a red face, and said with a smile: "Lord Tian, can you listen to this ghost story I told?" Tian Wenjing has been tossing in Jin Province for more than a month, and his resume has long been known, Pan Gui's words are sandwiched with bones, and he clearly pointed out that Tian Wenjing's "three trips to the examination room" fell to Sun Shan, relying on donations to become an official, and borrowing paper money to ridicule him for "getting money from the treasury" and looting money everywhere. Although this story is not surprisingly written, it is in everyone's heart. So everyone chimed in:

"Pan Ling is worthy of his true life, and he has the skill of exorcism!"

"Judge your life by the article, good!"

"This ghost is gone, and your old Pan didn't beat his vinegar charcoal by the river[1]

？ ”

Everyone laughed and looked at Tian Wenjing, who had not yet been dismissed. Tian Wenjing's eyes didn't look at Pan Gui, he looked at the gradually extinguished fireworks box, and only after a while did he take a heavy breath and said: "You are the commander of Baishan County, and there are eighteen hell clay sculptures on Baishan Mountain according to the slope. In your opinion, those are just puppeteers, and they are not worth talking about, but I went to see them and felt a lot. So many good men and women brought cigarettes and fruits to worship, what did they want? It's nothing more than being obscene and greedy for money on weekdays, and having a loss in the dark room, making these false incense to deceive the ghosts and gods, so as to avoid the disaster of being branded by artillery. His voice was not high, but there was a sound of gold and stone in every sentence. Everyone was sick, and they were all speechless for a moment, just looking at the blazing mallet fire [2]

Trance.

Nuo Min was originally very happy in his heart, the new emperor ascended to the pole, and the ministers and officials were not familiar with it, and he got the praise of "the first minister in the world", what a glorious and decent scenery? But somehow, in the face of the two Qincha, I gradually became a little uneasy. Tian Wenjing's refusal to accept the blame is a reasonable thing, why is Tu Lichen, a young man, so arrogant that he doesn't say a word at the banquet, and only cares about drinking himself with one cup on the left and one on the right? Thinking about it, he got up and smiled: "Why did you eat dry wine?" Whoever has a joke, tell one to explain to the figure master! ”

"There are no jokes," said an official sitting at the second table, who got up and came to Tu Lichen's table, held a cup and served a drink to the three of them, "The lowly position is Sha Benji, the commander of Taiyuan County." Tian Daren checked the treasury, and he was accompanied by a humble position at the beginning. It's not that I'm drinking to cover my face. When you wanted to check the accounts, how could I persuade you to come? When Nuo Zhongcheng took office, the first thing he did was to clean up the treasury, and even participated in 23 officials who had a deficit of more than 10,000 taels of silver, which was praised by the Holy Grandfather during his reign! My lord, I take advantage of the drunkenness to advise you, do not do to others what you do not want to be done to yourself, not to mention that you are not righteous, how can you be righteous? ”

In addition to the decree, Tu Lichen originally had Yongzheng's secret edict of "observing the style of officials in Jin Province", the purpose of the explicit and secret decrees was slightly different, and he himself could not figure out Yongzheng's intentions, so he refused to speak much except for the decree, and now he saw that everyone was borrowing wine to attack, embarrassing Tian Wenjing, and patting Nuo Min's ass, he felt that he couldn't look at it, so he slowly put down the wine glass and asked: "Sha Ling, I don't understand what you say." Do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you. What does it mean to be 'not righteous and not be upright'? ”

"Master Tu", Tian Wenjing arched his hands and said, "Such a foolish and ignorant person doesn't have to worry about him." He just saw that I was unlucky, and came to wave someone's wind flag. It is human nature for the wall to fall down and everyone pushes it. He snorted and sneered: "Thinking that someone in my field is so easy to rectify? Tell your surname Sha, sweet dreams are easy to wake up, and yellow sorghum is difficult to ripen! If I don't sort out the deficit case here, I will never be able to do Fenhe! ”

"How am I a foolish and ignorant person!?"

"You are called 'inexhaustible', you are a boss who does things, and you knock off the small people, which matches the name and reality, so you are foolish and ignorant!" Tian Wenjing's face flushed, and he patted the case lightly, "At the beginning, Chaku, you ran with me like a dog's tail, and now with this face, I have to add a sentence, you are stubborn and shameless!" Tell you, I have sealed your treasury with my Chincha Guard! ”

Tian Wenjing and Sha Benji turned against each other in public, which had already stunned everyone, and even the words "sealing the domain" were even more appalling. Dozens of officials looked at each other, and they all stared at Tian Wenjing, not knowing what illness he had committed and daring to be so bold.

"The surname is Tian," Nuo Min couldn't help but change color, and stood up as he pressed the table, "The seizure of the domain treasury is to ask for the Holy Order!" As the governor of Shanxi, I don't have this right! You are a small Cao, disturbing my Shanxi government affairs, seeing that you are the emperor's errand, how much face have you left? How dare you be so crazy! - You are an official who has been dismissed, come! Remove his seat! ”

Tian Wenjing stood up with a "brush", knocked down the chair he was sitting on with a gloomy face, and said categorically: "I have sent someone to deliver the chapter to the emperor in an urgent manner for six hundred miles." Don't take your life, don't be an official, you have to solve the case of Shanxi's cleanup of the deficit! ”

"You are arrogant!" Nuo Min roared, "The emperor sent a court edict yesterday, ordering me to withdraw 100,000 yuan of silver from the treasury to help the spring famine in Yanmen Pass. If you seal the library, one person will starve to death in Shanxi, and I will definitely cut you first and then take your life. ”

Tu Lichen had already stood up, and Xu Bu paced around the mallet, thinking nervously. Sealing the treasury is the most important thing, which is equivalent to stopping the provincial finances, and if the seal is wrong, Tian Wenjing really has only one dead end. But Tian Wenjing knew this, why did he blatantly reckless of the consequences? He knew that at this moment, he was also involved, and he couldn't have a clear attitude between Nuo Min and Tian Wenjing, thinking about it, he walked up to Tian Wenjing and asked, "Why?" Listening to Tu Lichen's hoarse voice with great pressure, even Nuo Min couldn't help but shudder.

"Returning to Lord Tu's words," Tian Wenjing bowed slightly, "Nuo Min's people trespassed into my Qin mission in the post house, and took my hand to Qiao Yindi." Therefore, I suspect that his treasury is not true, so I will seize it first. Soldiers can be killed, but they cannot be humiliated, Nuomin insults me too much, not to mention that I am a Qincha, and Nuomin insults the emperor even more. I just can't tolerate him! ”

Tu Lichen turned his face and asked, "Lord Nuomin, is there such a thing?" Nuo Min nodded and said, "That's the ** I just said." This matter was done by the yamen of Taiyuan City Gate. I didn't think I had done anything wrong. Tian Wenjing was not originally a minister of the Imperial Mission, but a commissioner of the Imperial Mission, so the post house was not a minister of the Imperial Mission. Emperor Shengzu had already issued an edict that civil and military officials were not allowed to solicit prostitution and stay with prostitutes. Tian Wenjing said that this Qiao Yindi was the witness of my Shanxi case of shorting treasury silver, and it stands to reason that she should be sent to the Yamen of the Zhensi to be taken in pending trial, why should she be kept in a post house? Besides, the bank accounts in the treasury have been cleared, Tian Wenjing himself has admitted that even Tian Wenjing should be falsely accused. Qiao Yindi sued the official with the people, she was already guilty, and what she told was not true, shouldn't she be arrested? ”

Nuo Min had worked in the Criminal Department for two years, and was familiar with the "Great Qing Law", the old official was familiar with it, and he spoke eloquently, but Tian Wenjing suddenly interjected coldly: "Master Nuo, what evidence do you have that I am a prostitute?" Today's Di Bao, Long Live Lord solemnly reiterates that the governors of all places must obey the edict of the enthronement before the Long Live Coffin, and mourn for the Holy Grandfather for three years. Tell me, my students don't understand! You must know that the first emperor Zigong is still in the inner hall, and he has died less than three months, what do you dare to ask you to congratulate? To tell you the truth, I have not only sealed the treasury, but also posted a notice: All gentry and merchants who have a bank account with the treasury will be settled within three days. Three days later, the Shanxi treasury silver was moved to Nanjing for recasting. I don't think Lord Nuo will be happy to hear this news, right? ”

As if a thunder thunder rose out of thin air, there was a dead silence at the banquet, and there was silence like a barren mountain and an ancient temple, and then there was a buzzing sound on the gentleman's banquet, but I didn't know what to discuss.

"What?" Nuo Min's head was sweating, and Ai Ai asked, "Three million taels...... All the money will be sent to Nanjing? "That's right." Tian Wenjing raised his face arrogantly, took out the hookah from his arms, lit the fire by candlelight, lit the cigarette, and said with a cloud and mist: "Liberate them all." Nuo Min's face was blue and red, his heart was beating suddenly, his hands were wet and sticky with cold sweat, he came back to his senses for a long time, gritted his teeth and stared at Tian Wenjing who was grunting and smoking hookah hatefully, and said with a smile, "Taiyuan silver casting place casts 'water system' silver, which is the same as the same style as Beijing ingots, and has been used all over the world for more than 300 years, and the fineness can reach 978 [3]

Why did you send Nanjing Metallurgy? ”

"Because I believe you, Shanxi officials, but!" Tian Wen didn't raise his head and said with a smile, "The two hundred and ninety-seven officials of Tong Province, up and down, left and right, contacted the imperial court, you have committed the crime of bullying the king!" You've hit a hard nail! ”

Turichen was also stunned. It was the first time he had been involved in local administration, and he did not understand the tricks of officials from other provinces in cheating on money. He only knew that it was a big deal to seal the treasury without asking for an order, but he didn't understand the power of this notice! Thinking about it, Tu Lichen turned his face to Nuo Min and said, "This matter is too big. Nuogong, what are your charters? ”

"My charter is to open it immediately!" Nomin suddenly yelled out of a faux pas, "Tear down this notice immediately!" ”

Tian Wenjing blew out the fire matchmaker with a "pounce", glanced at everyone contemptuously, walked up to Tu Lichen in front of Xu Bu, bowed slightly and said, "Master Tu!" ”

"Hmm".

"I'd like to lend you something."

"What?"

"I'll lend you a bag of cigarettes," Tian Wenjing coughed dryly and let go of his hand, "There is one less talk in the wall of the flower hall, is it okay?" ”

Tu Lichen also really wanted to know what kind of medicine was sold in Tian Wenjing's gourd, so he nodded. As soon as he turned around, Nomin said loudly, "What are the ulterior words?" Say it in front of everyone! Tu Lichen didn't seem to hear it, and with a sweep of his eyes, he followed Tian Wenjing into the flower hall, and his subordinate Goshha immediately came over and guarded the door under the eaves of the flower hall.

[1]

Legend has it that the red-hot charcoal dipped in vinegar has the effect of driving away evil spirits and warding off ghosts. In the old days, when people died in the inn, they used this method to disinfect the rooms.

[2]

Shanxi produces coal, the fifteenth day of the first month often uses good coal in the courtyard, the street to set up a coal stove, as high as a person, the shape is like a mallet, can be heated, can be watched, the name is called "mallet fire".

[3]

The purity of ninety-seven-eight can reach 97.8%.