It was a hot summer afternoon, the trees were screaming, and the streets were occasionally passing by with two or three people, and no one would want to go out at this time on such a hot day.

The servants at the gate were drowsy, and a young man rode into the city on a donkey, carrying a gauze hat for shade from the sun, and a white linen garment, which was not expensive, but it looked clean.

The young man jumped off the ground and led the donkey all the way, looking left and right, as if he was a foreigner coming for the first time, but this small county town really has no beautiful scenery.

Four county officials were sitting on an herbal tea stall on the street drinking herbal tea.

"Song Zhutou, we've been too idle lately, so it's better to take a few brothers to have some fun at night. A catcher said with a wink.

Sitting next to him was a man in his thirties, dressed in a headcatcher uniform, and his identity could be seen at a glance.

"I think the money is strong, you kid wants to gamble again. Song Zhutou said with a smile.

"Dali is right, the yamen has been too idle recently, the magistrate has been removed from office for more than a month, and the new magistrate has not yet arrived, so we have to wander around this street every day. A catcher complained from the sidelines.

"Hey, I've heard, this text has already reached the yamen, the county lord said that Xinzhi County will be in office in two days, and I don't know where it is sacred, we have to pay some attention. Another catcher said.

"Hey, if you can be sent to our poor and remote place to be the magistrate of the county, what future can you have, it's nothing more than to earn three years of silver, let's still be our catcher, what should we do and what should we do. Song Zhutou said.

"That's right, the previous lord was also unlucky, and he was planted in the hands of the prefect's daughter, but I heard that the prefect has also been unlucky recently, it's really feng shui in turn. Qian Dali said.

"Where can we manage so much of this matter, in short, we still have to fish what should be fished, haha. After Song Zhutou finished speaking, several catchers also laughed together.

After drinking the herbal tea, a few people got up and left without paying the money, and the owner of the tea stall did not say a word, but quickly cleaned up the table and prepared to welcome other guests, as if he had long been accustomed to this.

The young man walked over to the table and sat down.

"Boss, have a cup of herbal tea. The young man said, he took off his gauze hat, and it was Xie Huchen.

"Guest officer, your herbal tea, slow use. The boss brought the tea.

"Boss, why don't those yacha give tea money? Xie Huchen asked.

"This guest officer is a foreigner, we are a small business, where can we afford to offend the people of the yamen, on weekdays, they win money in the casino, and they will reward two children when they are in a good mood. The owner of the tea stall replied.

"I see. Xie Huchen looked at a few distant catchers and thought thoughtfully.

He was also really thirsty, so he drank a large bowl of herbal tea in one go, took out two big coins from his waist, put them on the table, and got up to leave.

When the boss saw it, he hurriedly shouted behind him: "This son, you don't need so much." ”

"It's okay, boss, I paid for their tea. Xie Huchen turned around and smiled, and left.

"It's really strange that there are people who take the initiative to pay for tea for these yachas, it's strange. The owner of the tea stall shook his head and muttered.

Xie Huchen continued to lead the donkey and walked in the direction of the county office, he was the new magistrate of Yixian County.

Yu Chong, Gui Ming, Bai Li Shu, Xie Huchen four people in Jiangzhou City after farewell, each went to the east and west, Yu Chong brothers and sisters three went to travel in all directions, Gui Ming followed his father back to Beijing to serve, Bai Li Shu went to Xiangzhou to take charge of the dart bureau, and Xie Huchen came to this small Yi County to become a magistrate.

He was born as a jinshi, but he was not good at officialdom drilling, so he has been idle at home, this time everyone jointly overthrew the traitorous minister Cao Xiangui, who leaned towards the government and the opposition, he entered the palace to face the saint, and the answer was like a stream, the Son of Heaven was very happy, and he wanted to leave him in the palace to read to the prince, but he politely declined, and asked for this seven-grade black yarn.

This Manchu Dynasty civil and military uproar, a scholar, young, accompanied by the East Palace, did not want to have a good future, but came to this poor countryside to be a small county.

In fact, this is not necessarily a bad thing, within the walls of this palace, there is already a crisis, above the court, the dark tide is surging, he is young, he was able to accompany the East Palace, and become a close minister of the future Son of Heaven, which is equivalent to suddenly stirring into this troubled water, and it is bound to become the object of the forces of all parties.

At that time, Xie Huchen's father, Xie Sanren, was an official to the Ministry of Rites, and was in a high position, but because he offended the powerful, he was unwilling to go with the flow, and was squeezed out and framed, and finally lost his official position, so he came to Jiangzhou City to open a school, and since then he has been a teacher.

In fact, Xie Huchen knows that although his father is far away from the rivers and lakes, he has always cared about the government and politics, and often pinpoints the disadvantages of the times, and he has always been angry about the dismissal of the official back then. Before he went out to work this time, his father taught him earnestly, reminded him of his face, and constantly warned himself not to make the mistake of being too high-minded back then, and to know how to dance with long sleeves. Because if you want to fight a traitor, you have to be more traitorous than a traitor.

The bell on the donkey's neck jingled, from far to near, and stopped at the gate of the county government.

A guard on duty was snoring at the White Sun Gate.

Xie Huchen stepped forward, squatted down, and stared at the servant silently for a long time. After a while, the official yawned, seemed to wake up from a dream, turned over and opened his eyes, and was frightened, and a big living person in front of him was staring at him.

"Oh my mother, you're sick, you're scared, what are you doing here in broad daylight?"

"I just see that you are sleeping too soundly and can't bear to wake you up, hehe. Xie Huchen replied with a smile.

"Where did you come from, the yamen is heavy, how can you break in, if you don't leave, don't blame the master for beating you out. The official said arrogantly.

"Of course I know that this is the Yamen, and I am here to complain. Xie Huchen said.

"Sue whom?" the official squinted at him.

Xie Huchen ignored him, and went straight to ring the Dengwen drum at the gate, the loud bang attracted many people to watch, since the last county order was removed, no one has sounded this Dengwen drum for a long time, the county Cheng who temporarily acts in charge of the daily affairs of the yamen is a drunkard, and he doesn't have much time to be sober on weekdays.

As soon as the drum sounded, it alarmed the officials of the rear office, yawning in twos and threes, and walked out lazily with water and fire sticks.

After a long while, the county gentleman rubbed his sleepy eyes and staggered out, and at first glance, he was still drinking and burping.

I saw him sitting in the hall with his buttocks, holding up the startling wood high, and falling down softly, and asked, "Who is in the hall, what grievances are there in broad daylight?"

Xie Huchen stood at the foot of the hall and said: "The first thing I want to sue is that the county government is fishing fast in the township, the second is to sue the public for dereliction of duty, and the third is to sue you for laziness and dereliction of duty and abandonment of political affairs. ”

Hearing these words, the county Chengjiu also woke up a little, and when he saw that the young man in this hall was disrespectful, he even sued himself, and he was not angry, and he was shocked again, and shouted loudly: "Bold, where did the Diao people come from, they actually spread wild in the public court, take it down for me." ”

The officials on the side, seeing that Xie Huchen was a weak scholar, didn't pay attention to it, and stretched out their hands to grab him, who knew that Xie Huchen's hands flashed, and seven or eight flying stones shot out at the same time, and the legs of the officials were weak, and they all knelt down, and fell to the ground and shouted in pain.

"You...... Who are you, do you know what crime you are guilty of, and you dare to beat up officials? Seeing this, the county was so frightened that his voice began to tremble.

Xie Huchen slowly walked to the back of the public case, and as soon as he raised his hand, the county man thought that he was going to fly a stone to hurt people again, so he was so frightened that he rolled off the chair and crawled on the ground several times.

I saw Xie Huchen open his baggage, take out an official document from it, and then take out his personal seal and put it on the table, and said, "Come up and see for yourself, what is this." ”

The county man stepped forward in fear, opened the official document and looked at it, and compared it with Xie Huchen's private seal, and immediately knelt down in the hall in fright, kept kowtowing and said: "I didn't expect the new master to arrive, the subordinates have no eyes, it's all the fault of the subordinates, and I hope the lord will be gracious." ”

When the officials saw it, they quickly kowtowed and begged for mercy.

Xie Huchen sat in the hall and said: "Since this official has arrived, from today onwards, all the subordinate officials of the county government, and those who neglect their duties, oppress the people, and commit adultery will be severely punished according to law, you all remember." ”

The kneeling crowd in the hall nodded their heads like chickens pecking rice. The people on the periphery of the yamen applauded, and immediately ran to tell each other, saying that Yixian County finally had a clean official, and the people finally had a blue sky.

"Alright, get up, I have something to ask. Xie Huchen said.

Although the lord asked, his subordinates must answer truthfully. The county man hurriedly got up and replied.

"You have prepared the records of the county's grain, taxes, household registration, patrol and prosecution, and criminal cases and prisons over the years, and this official wants to check them. Xie Huchen said.

"Yes, sir. The county replied tremblingly.

"I am not to blame for anything that happened before I took office, and if I commit another crime in the future, I will not blame this official law. Xie Huchen said, he knew that these old officials were not of great use, but after all, he was new to the city, and if he was too strict, I was afraid that many things would be more difficult to implement.

When everyone heard Xie Huchen's words, they thanked them again and again.

"All right, all down, and if anything happens, I'll call you again. Xie Huchen said.