When the shopkeeper Feng saw everyone sitting down, he picked up a glass of wine and said with a happy face: "Tonight, the shop has the honor to welcome Lord Xiao and all the distinguished guests, it is the honor of the villain." It is a special thin wine to catch the wind for you. It's just that tonight is a bit rushed, and it's getting late, so you have to rest early, so let's change it to tomorrow with a reception banquet. Tonight is just a drink, coarse tea and light meal, don't be surprised. Come, the villain first toasts Lord Xiao and everyone with a drink. Please. ”

After Shopkeeper Feng finished speaking, he drank all the wine in the cup. After everyone drank the wine, he respectfully sat down at Xiao Dong's head and accompanied everyone to drink and eat. Everyone has been busy all day, and at this time they are all hungry, so you are welcome. Shopkeeper Feng couldn't help but persuade him to drink, and he served him quite thoughtfully, even smiling at the three boatmen and Wei Erbao. Everyone originally thought that this person was a treacherous philistine, and they didn't have a good impression of him. Later, I didn't have any bad feelings for this person, but I felt that this person was considerate and not disgusting.

After they were full of wine and food, Shopkeeper Feng personally took a few men to send Xiao Dong and the others back to their respective guest rooms. The guy had already prepared hot water in the guest room, and served everyone to wash their faces and feet, which was very thoughtful. After everything was cleaned up, Shopkeeper Feng said goodnight from house to house, and then retreated downstairs.

When Li Qiufeng and Zhang Shi lay down, they could hear the sound of bangs coming from a distance outside the window, and it was already a watchday. Zhang Shi stretched his waist and said with a smile: "I have slept on the ship for more than 20 days, and tonight is the first time I have fallen into bed steadily." I hope that I can find the big ship back as soon as possible, go to Fusang to finish the business, and then return to Ningbo, and never go to sea again in this life. ”

Li Qiufeng thought to himself that Zhang Shi threaded the needle for Xiao Dong, Hu Shopkeeper and Qin Laowu, although he also brought some goods, but he was not deeply involved, so he could be so free. If he is like Shopkeeper Hu and others, he has put all his lives on the ship, but I am afraid that he will not be able to sleep at this time.

The two of them chatted for a while, and a wave of fatigue welled up, and after a while, they fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I first smelled the aroma of the food, and the sound of the pot and spoon hitting downstairs was faintly heard. Then the man brought hot water towels and asked everyone to wash their faces and rinse their mouths. After cleaning up, Shopkeeper Feng personally went upstairs to invite Xiao Dong and others downstairs for dinner. When everyone arrived downstairs, they saw that Master Jiang and He Zhutou had already arrived and were waiting in the lobby.

Everyone sat down to eat, and Master Jiang and He Zhutou sat at the same table with Xiao Dong. Xiao Dong saw that Master Jiang's eyes were red and his face was tired, knowing that he had been busy all night, he was a little moved in his heart. He personally served a bowl of hot porridge for Master Jiang, brought it to him, and said: "Master Jiang is hard, Xiao must remember the benefits of Master Jiang." After we return to the capital, Xiao will naturally go to the Ministry to say a few words for Master Jiang, so as to find a background for Master Jiang. ”

Master Jiang bowed down to take the hot porridge and said, "Thank you Lord Xiao for your care." The adult lost a boat in Dongliao County, it was our dereliction of duty, and the adult still took care of the villain so much, and the villain was grateful. The villain is over forty years old, and he has long stopped thinking about it. I just want to have a bowl of stable rice to eat, so that the whole family will not be cold and hungry, and I am already satisfied. ”

He Zhutou heard Xiao Dong say that he wanted to speak for Master Jiang in the Ministry of Officials, and thought to himself, looking at this person's great style, he didn't think he was telling a lie. I don't ask him to speak for me in the capital, but only need to say a few kind words for me at the yamen of the Liaoyang prefect, and there will be many benefits in the future. Thinking of this, He Zhutou said with a sneer: "Old Jiang Zhonghou is a good person of the first class of our Dongliao County Magistrate Yamen. The villain partnered with him to do things for Lord Xiao, and he had a lot of confidence in his heart. ”

Xiao Dong naturally knew He Zhutou's intentions, so he nodded and said: "As long as the two of you do things well, it is not difficult to get promoted and make a fortune." ”

He Zhutou was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. Master Jiang's face was calm, and he said to Xiao Dong: "Lord Xiao, last night the villain and He Zhutou went to the dock to search carefully, but they didn't find anything out, this thing is indeed a bit strange. Our Dongliao County is far away from the customs, and there are not many foreign merchants on weekdays, and there are even fewer ships from the sea. The boats moored at the wharf are all small boats of more than 20 fishermen in Dongliao County. There are more than 100 households on the shore, with about 245 people living in the household. We have carefully searched the left and close to the wharf and the people on the shore, and it is indeed as Lord Xiao said, not only the ships moored at the wharf are nowhere to be found, but even the more than 200 people on the shore are nowhere to be found. ”

When Master Jiang said this, he paused slightly, and then continued: "The villain has checked several houses, and there are no traces of fighting and inspection in the houses, so it can be seen that when these people left, there was no conflict. After dawn, the villain and He Zhutou carefully searched for footprints, but they did not find the footprints of more than 200 people walking, but it was as if these 200 people flew into the sky. Our Dongliao County is bordered by the sea in the south, and there are city walls in the north, east and west directions, only the south end is not built. When you enter the city, you want to come and pass a stone bridge. In fact, the southern end of Dongliao County is bounded by the stone bridge, the north end is inside the city, and the south end is outside the city. Some of the displaced people from outside the city who had lost their household registration and were afraid of being punished by the yamen in the city and were escorted back to their hometowns gathered south of Shiqiao for decades. The successive magistrates of Dongliao County had a great headache for these displaced people, and they also strictly managed them several times, which provoked a popular uprising and killed and injured many people. Two magistrates were convicted and removed from their posts for investigation. In the future, all the adults who came to Dongliao County to take office did not want to deal with these displaced people, so they turned a blind eye and left them to fend for themselves near the dock. Most of these displaced people thought that the big families outside Dongliao County were farming and making a living, barely able to feed their families, and not die of cold and starvation. ”

Li Qiufeng secretly thought in his heart, although the world has been peaceful for more than 100 years, but the people are poor and have experienced many hardships. If they are gathered, it is very easy to cause trouble. It is to strictly order officials in various places to prevent the people from gathering and causing trouble. There are so many displaced people living in one place outside the city of Dongliao County, and their livelihood is difficult, if someone instigates it, I am afraid that it will provoke a civil uprising. If these officials in Dongliao County are left alone, sooner or later they will cause chaos.

Xiao Dong heard Master Jiang say this, nodded, and said: "What Master Jiang means is that these people are all homeless people and have no household registration, so it is impossible to find out where they came from and where they went, yes or no?"

Master Jiang said: "It's not that it's impossible to find out, but it takes a lot of effort, and it can't be done overnight." And the missing ships were parked in the sea, unlike the chariots and horses on the shore. When a chariot or horse walks by, it leaves a rutted hoof print, but when a ship sails on the sea, unless it is seen with one's own eyes, it only takes a moment for the sea to return to normal, and where can we look for traces of the ship's sailing?"

Xiao Dong was a little anxious when he heard Master Jiang say this, glanced at Master Jiang, and said, "So, Master Jiang is also helpless?"

Master Jiang heard that Xiao Dong was unhappy, so he hurriedly stood up and said respectfully: "Lord Xiao, don't worry, although things are difficult to do, the villain will never let go of these thieves. It's just that we only have more than 100 arresters in the Yamen of Dongliao County, and if we want to carefully search inside and outside the city and not let go of any suspicious places, we are far from enough. It was the villain who wanted to gather Zhuang Ding, who was from several large households outside the city, and led by the tolerance catcher, to thoroughly search the inside and outside of Dongliao County. If these thieves are treacherous, I don't believe they can hide so many ships and people without the slightest flaw!"

Xiao Dong nodded, and said, "This is the best! If Li Zhixian has any objections, just tell me. This Li Zhixian is not a smart person, you are doing things under him, but you are afraid that you will be controlled from time to time. And that Master Pan, he is a good hand at holding money, so he can do things, hum. ”

Master Jiang heard Xiao Dong directly reprimand Li Zhisheng and Master Pan for being confused, although he won my heart, he didn't dare to echo it, just stood respectfully. Xiao Dong invited him to sit down, and then said, "Just follow Master Jiang's idea." If you need silver taels, just ask Li Zhixian for it. If he doesn't give it, you tell me. ”

Master Jiang frowned and said, "It doesn't take a lot of money, not to mention that we are doing serious things, and Master Li and Master Pan will definitely not obstruct it." ”

When he said this, Xiao Dong, Li Qiufeng, Zhang Shi, Shopkeeper Hu and others all thought in their hearts that Li Zhisheng and Master Pan, the two bastards, only thought about making money on weekdays, and wished that there would be incidents every day. If they want to gather people to do things, they can fill their own pockets from them, how can they hinder it?