Wu.

Hangzhou.

The lonely goose is red cloud, the tower of the evening wind temple, and the ink dyes the sky a color.

The summer evening in Hangzhou is always lively, the people on the street have lost their day's work, returned home, faced the mild evening breeze and sunset, moved the tables and chairs at the door of the house, set up the wine and food, the wife and the servant beside him, and the children and grandchildren around the knee, which is a rare leisure time in this life.

Chu Mo came to the gate of the county office, the street outside was dyed red by dusk, the old woman was staggering with a vegetable basket, the child ran by with a papier-mâché windmill and laughing, and several carriages drove across the road with a wisp of smoke. There was a faint shouting from the side of the street, and I couldn't really hear it.

Chu Mo closed his eyes, as if he was savoring the hard-won fireworks in the world.

When he was a child in the palace, he didn't have many opportunities to go out. At that time, the Great Chu was in its prime, conquering the south and the north, expanding a large area of land and confiscating a large amount of gold and silver. When he was a child, the adults were always too busy to take care of him. In addition to the national teacher who is responsible for disciplining him. If the national teacher also has something, then he will be alone in the palace, and he has been used to loneliness since he was a child. His younger brother is more noisy than him, he can already climb over the wall, and he still has a big snot, and he can't even learn the most basic palace etiquette, and his mouth is full of Abaaba. At that time, Chu Mo naturally looked down on his younger brother, so every summer evening, he would sit alone on the high place in the palace, looking at the empty huge square palace, and sometimes looking at the burning clouds in the sky and the flocks of geese flying by.

At that time, people were saying that when he grew up in the future, the whole world would be his, including this blood-stained sky.

Thinking of this, Chu Mo, who had closed his eyes tightly, couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly.

Now that I'm older, I'm still alone, and what about my world?

He slowly opened his eyes, turned his back to his hand, and the official uniform on his body swayed slightly.

Only at this time can I truly integrate into this real and peaceful world and spy on the less cold places in this world.

After a while, a dusty carriage drove towards the gate of the county government and stopped in front of Chu Mo.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the dusty coarse cloth curtain was lifted, and a man in an official uniform hurriedly jumped out of the carriage.

When Chu Mo saw him, he saluted respectfully and said, "In the Xiapingxiang County Order, Ouyang Mo has met the envoy. ”

The man hurriedly waved his hand at him, unceremoniously walked under a tree next to the gate of the county office, held on, and vomited with a scream.

Chu Mo looked at him embarrassed and a little embarrassed.

The man vomited for a while, raised his head, exhaled comfortably, wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his official uniform, and said: "Huh, it can be regarded as alive, this way can be regarded as killing me, I have long said to let Lord Zhizhou change the carriage, the carriage of our state capital has been used for a few years, and the horse can't be pulled to change, this car is still there, if I sit a few more times, I have to turn my intestines upside down." ”

As he spoke, he turned his head and saw Chu Mo, he was stunned for a moment, came back to his senses, and immediately eagerly stepped forward, saying, "Oh, you are the county magistrate here, right, you have been looking up for a long time, what is your name?"

After hearing this, Chu Mo smiled faintly and said: "The subordinate's name is Ouyang Mo, I have seen the envoy, I don't know ......."

"Oh, my name is Zhang Renjie, you can just call me Renjie. The envoy greeted him, graciously grabbed Chu Mo's sleeve with the hand that had just wiped his mouth, and said, "Excuse me, where is your dining room here, I haven't eaten this afternoon, and my stomach is almost hungry." ”

Chu Mo smiled gently: "Lord Zhang, the dining room has prepared wine and food, just behind the lobby, I will let the subordinates guide the way, I will help you stop the carriage behind the yamen, this street is easy to block." ”

"Oh, good, good work, Ou...... Ou ......" Zhang Renjie said, suddenly stuck, one hand raised in the air.

"It's called Ouyang Mo below, and the adults can call me by name. Chu Mo said.

"Oh, Ouyang Mo is it, that's hard for you. After Zhang Renjie finished speaking, he hurriedly walked inside, halfway through, and folded back in a panic, took out a piece of paper from his arms, handed it to Ouyang Mo, and said, "By the way, you take a look at this first, the state just received it." ”

After speaking, he trotted into the county office.

Chu Mo looked at his back, chuckled, turned his head and ordered the little servant to lead the horse, and after settling the coachman, he opened the piece of paper at the gate of the county office.

The sixth day of the sixth month of the Wu calendar.

In the prefectural government.

Dusk faded, night fell, and the scorching day ushered in a rare cool time, and the candles in the county office were lit one by one.

"Knock knock!" There was a quick knock on the door outside Chu Mo's room, and Chu Mo, who was sitting on the side of the desk and dealing with the paperwork, raised his head and shouted to the door: "No need to knock, the door is not locked." ”

As soon as the door opened, Zhang Renjie's head poked in from the outside, and he smiled at Chu Mo.

Seeing this, Chu Mo closed the paperwork in his hand, got up and greeted him, and said with a smile: "Lord Zhang has finished eating? ”

"Out of the way, out of the way. Zhang Renjie walked into Chu Mo's room with a smile, put his hands on his sleeves like a farmer, raised his eyes and looked around, and said, "Eh, Ou...... Ouyang County Order, I just came out of there, how did I hear such a bustle outside the county office?"

Chu Mo smiled at Zhang Renjie and said: "Lord Hui, isn't today the sixth day of the first month of June, June 6th, the dragon raises his head, and the people outside are celebrating the festival, in a few days, the rainy season in Hangzhou is coming, and when it rains, the street will not be so lively." ”

Zhang Renjie listened, patted his head, and said with a smile: "Hey, look at my memory, I've been in the state capital for a long time, and I've forgotten about this stubble." Why, do you want to go out for a walk? ”

As he spoke, he generously reached out to pull Chu Mo's arm, and Chu Mo said, "Eh, Lord Zhang, otherwise, let's discuss it first......

"What are you talking about? Zhang Renjie interrupted Chu Mo's words with a big grin, raised his hand, and said, "Don't worry, I'm not just here for a day or two, besides, isn't Hurun also here? ”

As he spoke, he turned around and was about to walk out.

"But, Your Excellency the Special Envoy......" Chu Mo took out the paper he was looking at at the door from his bosom and said to Zhang Renjie, "Your Excellency, this is the emergency document you gave me for the state capital, this ......"

Zhang Renjie turned his head, glanced at the paper spread out in Chu Mo's hand, and said lightly: "Hey, let's talk about this while walking, it just happens to be familiar with this place." ”

After hearing this, Chu Mo said with a smile: "Then the subordinate is better to obey his orders respectfully, the envoy's room has been settled, and he should rest as soon as possible when he comes back." ”

"Eh, don't bother. Zhang Renjie said, "Also, just call me Renjie, we are both positive nine products, how can there be any subordinates who are not subordinates." ”

Chu Mo smiled, noncommittal, and followed Zhang Renjie out of the room.

Outside the county office.

On the sixth day of the sixth month of June, the dragon king raised his head. At this time of year, it is the eve of the rainy season in the south. The farmers in the south have always relied on the mountains to eat the mountains and the water to eat the water. The year's harvest in the fields also depends on this sweltering rain, which lasts for several days. When it rains, the fish and shrimp in the rivers, lakes and seas also jump to the surface of the water with the high tide, and the fishermen who have been mixed in the water all year round can catch the aquatic products that sink so much that they can't drag it when they cast their nets. But the fly in the ointment is that for several days in a row, half a month of rain has made the streets sparse pedestrians, the business of shops has deteriorated, and there are fewer pedestrians who go out to enjoy the coolness. By July and August, there were always floods and typhoons in some places on the borders of Wu, and in some places people were so seriously killed that there was no shelter, and the excerpts asking for disaster relief flew to the imperial court like snowflakes. Therefore, this festival is called the Dragon King Festival, which is intended to worship the Dragon King and bless the rainy season with good weather and peace for the country.

Chu Mo and Zhang Renjie changed into civilian clothes and walked out of the county office. Zhang Renjie is the same age as Chu Mo, and he is more like a big boy than Chu Mo, unkempt and arrogant, compared with other officials in the state capital, he looks like a strange plant.

The streets outside the county office were already bustling with activity at this time, with lanterns and fireworks rendering the streets as if they were daylight, and children were laughing and holding fireworks high in front of the shops. The adults changed into festive yellow trousers, shirtless, and wore yellow turbans, forming a dragon dance procession, and the paper dragons made of silk paper hovered over the heads of the crowd, attracting crowds of onlookers. The small vendors who walk the streets and alleys also gather here, shouting one after another, and the laughter is reflected on everyone's faces, so lively.

Chu Mo and the others walked along the street while looking at the crowd around them, Zhang Renjie was interested, lifted his trouser belt, looked around and sighed: "Fortunately, I went on a business trip, otherwise I don't know when I will see such a lively scene in the state capital." ”

Chu Mo followed on the side, as Zhang Renjie's accompaniment, and kept smiling and silent.

The two walked to a bridge, and the clear water below the bridge reflected the colorful lanterns dotted on the bridge. The two walked to a secluded place on the bridge, and in the distance, they could see several towering restaurants that had been lit up by candles at this time, as if they were resplendent with gold.

Zhang Renjie leaned on the bridge, sighed, and said: "Come, look at it, this festive atmosphere is a little interesting, isn't it boring to stay in the county government all day?

Chu Mo always had a faint smile on his face, and said, "Your Excellency, I don't know if I can help you with anything I can help you with this time entrusted by the state government?"

Zhang Renjie boredly picked up a stone from the guardrail on the bridge and threw it into the water under the bridge, splashing a circle of ripples. He raised his head, pointed into the distance, and said, "Come, what do you see there?"

Chu Mo looked at the place he pointed, and in the distance, the Qingyu Building had become charred black, and the remnant cliff was exposed, which was incompatible with the surrounding scene.

"What if the fire had been burning along the house next to it that day?" Zhang Renjie said, "The whole street will burn, and it is estimated that the fire will really have to wait for the rain of the Dragon King to extinguish it." This group of people, it's just that the scars are good and forget the pain. ”

Chu Mo nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm here for three main things, so let's start with the simplest. Zhang Renjie turned around, leaned against the guardrail, and said lightly towards Chu Mo, "The first thing is Niu Tao's case." ”