The name of Yanshi comes from the war of King Wu, which ended the war, fought against the war, revitalized the army and released the brigade, and showed that the world would not reuse the army, so it was named "Yanshi".

The county seat is north of the Luo River. The circumference of the city wall is six miles and eighty-four steps, three zhang high, there are four city gates, the north is called Wangjing Gate, the east is said to be Huaisong Gate, the west is said to be Zhanluo Gate, the south is said to be Yingxian Gate.

The Yingxian Gate in the south of the city is facing the Luo River, and a wharf is set up, which is called "Yingxian Gate Wharf".

On the river, the big boats from the east were carrying grain, cloth, and treasures, and the draft was very deep, and they went against the current, and slowly went up to the shouts of the slender men.

A passenger ship came from the west and arrived at the pier.

Yin Liang stood at the bow of the boat with his hands in his hands, his eyes wandered over the crowd on the shore, the porters, the merchants, the pedestrians, the officials....Finally, he turned to Xue Bai and said, "Shaofu, someone is coming to greet you." ”

The sampan was put down, and sure enough, a man on the shore strode up to meet him, and saluted Xue Bai and asked, "Dare to ask, but is it in front of the county lieutenant Xue?"

"Do you recognize me?"

"The county lieutenant smiled, such a character, not to mention the little Yanshi County, there are not many in the whole world."

The man smiled respectfully and introduced himself: "The villain Qi Chou, the head of the 'catching bad people' team in Yanshi County, was ordered by the commander to come to the dock to meet the county lieutenant. ”

Xue Bai handed him a glance and asked, "How do you know that I will come today?" ”

Remember https://m in a second.

Qi Chou responded: "Yesterday, the government department sent someone to spread the word, let us arrange the residence first."

"Which ruler sent it?

"The villain naturally doesn't know about this."

"You don't know? The government official is so heartfelt, but I don't even know who to be grateful, and when the official asks, whose responsibility is it? Xue Bai smiled: "By the way, your name is Qi Chou?" The name is easy to remember, how did you get this name?

"The villain was born when he was ugly."

Qi Chou responded, and after hesitating, he responded: "The villain remembered, it seems that Luoyang ordered Zhou Gong to send someone to the county office, and the county asked the villain to arrange it."

Xue Bai said: "I should thank Zhou Gong."

Yin Liang stroked his beard and smiled, and his heart was full of Luoyang County Order, and Yanshi Wei was just an official in a neighboring county, why should he be so enthusiastic?

After that, I thought that it should be because of the relationship between the eunuch Wu Huaishi, which makes sense.

Xue Bai had the heart to walk around Yanshi County first, but Qi Chou asked him to settle down first, after all, Xue Bai brought a lot of family members.

After entering the Yingxian Gate, I first arrived at a house next to the Confucian Temple in the east of the county office.

"County Lieutenant, please, this is the residence specially prepared for you by the commander, Xiao Wu enters the courtyard, and it should be shared."

Qi Chou smiled and led the way, and directly beckoned his servants to carry their luggage.

"What are you doing? Why don't you help the county lieutenant move his luggage in? ”

Xue Bai asked, "I don't know if the original county lieutenant Wang lives here?" ”

"Don't worry, the county lieutenant doesn't dare to give you the house where the county lieutenant Wang lived."

"Why? Haunted house?

Qi Chou couldn't answer, rubbed his hands and smiled, with an expression of asking Xue Bai not to embarrass him.

"And what is this mansion?"

"If you rent it, you can deduct it from the county lieutenant's monthly salary."

Yin Liang smiled and asked, "What is the rental price?" Who is the proprietor?

Qi Chou said: "How can the villain know these things."

Xue Bai said: "Take me to the residence of the county lieutenant Wang." ”

Qi Chou was about to refuse, Lao Liang and Jiang Hai had already stepped forward, sandwiching him between the left and the right, he was also a strong man, but at this time, he was inexplicably cold in his heart, and he couldn't wait to respond.

"County Lieutenant Wang lives in Sanguanmiao Lane, and the villain brought the county lieutenant over."

"Thank you.

Yanshi County is considered to be very prosperous.

Although it is inferior to Chang'an and Luoyang, it is more lively than Shaanzhou City.

Pingbai was not in a hurry to visit the county seat, and followed Qi Chou into Sanguanmiao Lane, and the third house in the alley was Wang Yanxian's residence.

"No one lives? What about his family?

"County Lieutenant Wang's family stayed in his hometown in Bingzhou and never brought it, and when he went to work, he only had an entourage with him who had been with him for many years."

"What's the name?"

"Wang Yi.

With that, Qi Chou pushed open the door.

Xue Bai sniffed, walked to the second courtyard, and went directly into the east wing, which was a study, with Duobao shelves standing on three walls, with inkstones and antiques on them, and more than ten brushes hanging on the pen holder on the bookcase...... There was not a single page of the paperwork.

After a while, Yin Liang came over and said in a low voice, "Shaofu, this way." ”

When he arrived at the main house in the backyard, Xue Bai took a branch and broke it, digging out a little dirt from the cracks in the masonry on the ground.

"Wet."

Yin Liang looked up at the tile above his head and said, "There is no rain."

"I came and washed it last night.

"It seems that County Lieutenant Wang didn't commit suicide in fear of crime."

"This is what it was supposed to be." Xue Bai said: "I thought that Wang Yanxian died as a scapegoat, but now it seems that he may have discovered something." ”

"Yicang is greedy for ink and disaster relief is not effective, these are also obvious." Yin Liang said, "Shaofu can't do anything about them?" ”

Even his staff, he didn't know if Xue Bai had been given a holy edict.

Xue Bai smiled and skipped the question.

What if there are more than these charges? After all, there were more than 20 thieves among those victims. ”

It's uncertain at the moment, unless the murderer can be found. ”

Xue Bai turned his head to look at Qi Chou who was standing outside the door, and said, "It wasn't this squad leader who killed him." ”

Yin Liang groaned: "It stands to reason that it is the henchmen of the county lieutenant who catches the bad handsome."

"Qi Bantou is from Yanshi County?

"Yes, the villain grew up in the south of Yishui, and he is a neighbor with Master Xuanzang."

"Then before Lieutenant Wang arrived, you were already the head of Yanshi County?

Qi Chou was a little more vigilant and said with a smile: "Yes." ”

"The county lieutenant of flowing water, the iron one is not handsome?"

"The county lieutenant smiled when he saw it, and replaced the villain, which is also a matter of the county lieutenant's words."

"That being said." Xue Bai said: "The foreign county lieutenant, when you arrive in this tens of thousands of people in Ji County, the fish and dragons are mixed, and you are withdrawn, isn't it dark in your eyes?"

Qi Chou said: "The villain is the lantern of the county lieutenant. ”

"What is your relationship with County Lieutenant Wang?

"It's good.

"Then how do you feel that he is dead?"

Qi Chou couldn't answer this again.

When he first saw him, he felt that the new county lieutenant was too straightforward, and he did not give people room for questioning several times. But the sense of proportion seems to be still in the hands of the new county lieutenant, at least not the intention of dismissing him.

Xue Bai suddenly stopped.

They were walking in the alley of Sanguanmiao, Lao Liang and Jiang Hai were blocked in front and back, surrounding Qi Chou in the middle.

"Don't worry, if there is anything to say, it will come out of your mouth and enter my ears, and no one else will know."

"Yes....it is said that the county lieutenant Wang was able to move from Yucheng to Yanshi because of the merits of the Li county order in Yucheng, and the county lieutenant Wang did not have much ability. In the past two or three years, he has indeed not been able to suppress the various ghosts and gods of Yanshi. ”

"Tell me, what are the ghosts and gods?"

"The Luo River passes through the county, and once the boat crosses, there are too many benefits. Thieves, merchants, fugitives, laborers, and all kinds of magnates from foreign states and counties, Wang County Lieutenant died at the hands of these people, it is not surprising that the villain also persuaded him and could not save him.

"Why isn't it strange?

In the winter of Tianbao's fifth year, the victims from other places gathered in Luoyang, but the county lieutenant Wang shouted to open the Yicang to release grain, but he forgot that the victims were from other places, but the grain in Yicang was from the people of Yanshi County.

Luoyang County, Henan County, and Hanjiacang are not released, he wants to release alone, how can anyone agree with him? ”

Yin Liang said: "Whenever there is a flood or drought, it will be given by Yicang, and where there is no warehouse, it will be eaten in other states, which is a regulation of the imperial court." ”

Qi Chou said: "The villain really knows which of these words has not been argued in the county office." It was the rule of the early years to eat it, and after the Yicang Law, who didn't pay for the grain, and who didn't come with it? 'Give it to them today, and we will starve to death the day to come,' these words are not spoken by me, but by all people. Don't blame us for being ruthless, who has surplus food over the years? All pointing to Yoshikura. ”

Xue Bai asked, "What did County Lieutenant Wang say?" ”

Qi Chou thought for a while and remembered what Wang Yanxian said at that time.

"If we don't earn a way to survive for the victims today, who will earn a way for us to survive when we are affected by disasters in the future?"

He apparently didn't realize the meaning of those words.

Yin Liang asked, "How many victims were there at that time?"

"There are quite a few, and the specific number of people is unknown."

"As far as I know, whenever the people of the disaster migrate, there must be a human sale, who is doing this business?"

Qi Chou was stunned for a moment when he asked this, his eyes avoided for a moment, and said: "Yanshi is just a small county, Mr. go to Luoyang to ask." ”

Selling the population due to disasters is a problem that has been faced by all dynasties, but it depends on how the imperial court deals with it.

At the beginning of Taizong's accession to the throne, natural disasters continued for many years, Shandong, Guandong, and Guanzhong were affected one after another, and the people sold their children.

"If the water and drought are not adjusted, all people are immoral, and if I do not cultivate morality, the heavens should blame me", it is the Ether Mansion that pays money to redeem the children and return their parents for the people.

After many strategies of the Gaozong and Wuhou dynasties, the method of human trafficking and slave tooth trade has been innovative. In the Kaiyuan period, the imperial court's finances were exhausted with relief, and they had no choice but to let the poor households temporarily sell their children as "commissions", so that the community was in difficulty. That is, it is allowed to temporarily trade in the person by means of labor to pay for debts, and if there is money to redeem oneself within the time limit, if not, it is a slave or a maid.

Gradually, human trafficking became a legal trade in the world as a false name.

It is conceivable that if Wang Yanxian is allowed to meddle in his affairs and open a warehouse to release grain, how many rights and interests will be touched.

"Those victims sold their sons and daughters in Luoyang?"

"The villain really doesn't know." Qi Chou said, "Since then, the villain has avoided County Lieutenant Wang. Although he thought about replacing the villain, the magistrate and the county magistrate did not agree, and he was helpless. ”

"How did he die?

"In the middle of July, around the seventeenth, he asked his servants to go to Luoyan Lou to sell wine, presumably drunk, and committed suicide that night.

"What else?

"That's all, the villain doesn't have much to do with him." Qi Chou said: "To be honest, the matter of catching thieves in Yanshi County does not depend on him, a foreign county lieutenant.

"Who does he usually associate with?"

"Those people from Shouyang Academy."

Qi Chou lowered his head and thought about it, making sure that what he said was not difficult to inquire about, so what should it be.

Xue Bai and Yin Liang glanced at each other, Yin Liang understood, and he would go to Shouyang Academy to inquire.

After asking about Wang Yanxian, Xue Bai's heart sank a little, and he felt that this county lieutenant was more difficult to be than expected.

It can't be compared with the leisure of the school secretary and Taile Cheng.

He settled in a small family, tidied up his appearance, changed into an official robe, and went to the county office with Wu Huaishi's letter.

The government office is located in the middle of the county, looking very solemn, the gate is closed, and no one is in the public hall at this time. There was only a small door open behind the figure-eight wall, and a gatehouse was waiting.

Seeing Xue Bai, who was dressed in a dark cyan official robe, the porter stepped forward quickly and said, "The county lieutenant is here, and the villain will lead you in." ”

"Thanks, what do you call it?

"The nobleman of Lao County asked each other, the villain's surname is Zhao, line six.

"Zhao Liu."

Xue Bai wrote it down, followed him along the bluestone road, and through the Yimen, there was a commandment stone, which was engraved with the "Lingchang New Commandment".

Behind the Yimen is where the six Cao are located, which are divided into gong, warehouse, household, soldier, law, and soldier.

Gong Cao is in charge of official examinations, elections, sacrifices, and county studies; Cangcao public corridors, warehouses, markets; Hucao is in charge of household registration, accounting, and taxation; Bing Cao is in charge of city defense, military affairs, and conscription; The law is in charge of the legal order form, the prison sentence, and the arrest of thieves; Shi Cao Zhangjin beams, boats, houses, and hundreds of arts.

In the county office, the county order, the county magistrate, and the county lieutenant are officials, and the county cao should not be the chief of the bar, the recorder, the bad marshal, the cangdu, the priest, the doctor, etc., are all officials.

Xue Bai looked at it and knew that as a county lieutenant, he had to at least control Bing Cao and Fa Cao in his hands to gain a foothold in Yanshi County.

Passing through the place of the six Cao in turn, passing through a gate along the path, the third entrance is the middle hall and two flower halls.

"County Lieutenant, please." Zhao Liu didn't dare to go over, and raised his hand to the flower hall to the east.

"Good work.

Xue Bai walked into the flower hall, and there was an old man sitting on a stool reading papers, his eyes were so fascinated that at first glance it made people think it was a county order, but it didn't look like an ordinary robe.

"The county lieutenant is here."

When the old man saw someone coming in, he hurriedly got up and saluted: "Little old man, Yanshi recorded Guo Lian, I am fortunate to be the champion, the Ming Mansion has been waiting for a long time, please here." ”

"Lao Guo Lu is leading the way, please."

"The little old man has heard of the name of the champion for a long time...... When is the bright moon, ask the wine to the sky. ”

Guo Jian actually opened his mouth to sing, which was quite cordial, but he didn't seem to have any aura.

Xue Bai knew that he was the confidant of the county order, but it was not as simple as it seemed.

The two walked into the middle hall from the back of the flower hall, and finally saw the county magistrate Lu Linghao.

To Xue Bai's surprise, Lu Linghao doesn't look very old, not a few years older than Wu Huaishi, obviously less than forty, and then thinking of his daughter eating with Wu Huaishi in the palace, it can probably be seen that this person is a utilitarian person, today, if Lu Linghao meets in the flower hall, it means that he is close; At this time, sitting upright in the middle hall and waiting for Xue Bai to come to meet him shows that the government office is respectful and orderly, and the rules cannot be broken.

Maybe it has something to do with Xue Bai's actions after entering Yanshi County.

"Xue Lang is here.

When Lu Linghao saw Xue Bai, his reaction was very enthusiastic, he straightened his official robe, and left his seat to greet him.

"I got the clerk's clerk, and I was overjoyed to know that the talented Xue Lang came to serve as the county lieutenant."

"Mingfu is in love.

Xue Bai hurriedly saluted, and when he was helped up by Lu Linghao, he immediately took out Wu Huaishi's letter and handed it over, saying, "This is the letter that General Wu in the palace entrusted me to bring." ”

"Look!" Lu Linghao smiled at Guo Lian, "Xue Lang is a person worthy of being entrusted with a family letter, his own family. ”

"It's really fateful, in the future, if you are an official in the same county, you will be able to enjoy it."

After some greetings, sat down in the east and west, Lu Linghao pointed at Xue Bai, and said: "I just listened to the report of the officials, you have entered the county seat, and immediately ordered someone to make tea, but I didn't expect that the tea was cold, haha, I will drink it." ”

"The Ming Mansion is too polite." Xue Bai said: "Really, some things have to be done first, but it is my fault that Lao Ming Mansion has waited for a long time."

"Do you have to do it?

"I have to." Xue Bai said in an affirmative tone.

Lu Linghao sighed and said slowly: "I understand what you mean, so what." ”

He raised Wu Huaishi's letter in his hand, and continued: "I'll write a letter back and ask General Wu to explain on our behalf, how about it?" ”

This is where Lu Linghao is extraordinary.

Behind him is the palace attendant, and it is a son-in-law, which is deeper than the background of many party officials. In a certain way, he could understand the Sacred Heart better than Xue Bai. Xue Bai's previous methods of bluffing others couldn't bluff him.

At least that's what Lu Linghao said at this time.

"Okay."

Xue Bai breathed a sigh of relief and confessed directly: "The death of Lieutenant Wang County, if General Wu can explain it to the sage and save me from investigating, it would be the best."

He bet that Lu Linghao would not dare to let Wu Huaishi face the death of Wang Yanxian in front of the saint.

If he wins the bet, he can make Lu Linghao unable to figure out his depth, thinking that the sage asked him to check, and he has to be afraid of him; If you lose the bet, it won't happen.....