The next day, after seeing Shi Yannian off, Xu Ping still felt uncomfortable, so he still stayed at home and did not go out. He just asked someone to specifically ask Lu Pan, the manager of the wine shop, to ask him to go back to the village if he saw Sang Yi.

On the third day, Sang Yi found the village. When he saw Xu Ping's face, he hurriedly asked, "I heard that the owner of the little manor had an accident a few days ago, nothing serious is it?"

Xu Ping said: "It's nothing, I just suffered a little cold. Is there any news about the scholar?"

Sang Yi nodded: "I followed that Qin Er for a few days and really found the two masterminds."

"Who is it? Where?" Xu Ping asked hurriedly.

This incident has been worrying about Xu Ping for a long time and is eager to know the answer.

Sang Yi said: "I went to a deserted temple with Qin Er to find them. I was afraid of being alerted, so I just monitored them from afar and did not come forward. When they heard their speech, they were all from the Jinshi from Guanzhong, one named Zhang Yuan and the other named Wu Jiuxia. Because of the failure of this subject, I lost money and had no trouble, I got this incident."

It turned out that after separating from Xu Ping that day, Sang Yi followed Qin Huailiang back to his hometown in the countryside. After waiting for another day, he found that the two alchemists were just staggering the matter with Xu Ping.

Xu Ping talked with Sang Yi for a while, but there was no more information, so he had to go to the town in person to see the situation before deciding where to start. Should he first catch Grandma Hong, the thief of the family, report to the government office to sweep away the two people, or catch them first and then deal with the thief of the family.

Before we could discuss this, a shopkeeper came to report that Lin Wensi was looking for Xu Ping outside and asked him to go to Baisha Town with him, and there was something wrong.

Xu Ping did not dare to disobey, so he cleaned up and left the village gate with Sang Yi.

When he got outside, Lin Wensi saw Sang Yi and hurriedly greeted him: "It turns out that Sang Xiucai was also in the village. Cao Baochen returned to the capital to report his duties. A junior invited him to drink in the town. The Taiwei and I had an old age and ordered someone to call me. We happened to go together."

Cao Baochen is Cao Wei, the number one general in the Song Dynasty, was demoted again and again because he offended Ding Wei. Now Ding Wei has fallen and the court is about to re-emphasize.

Although Sang Yi was a Jinshi, he was very angry and a hero. He heard that he was going to meet this legendary general and had a drink with his deskmate, so he naturally went there happily.

Xu Ping had already seen a soldier standing by the roadside, leading a horse waiting there, and hurriedly ordered the villager to lead his horse. This was the painstaking effort of his teacher and father-in-law. When he had the opportunity, he would take him to meet the upper-class people of this era and have a chance to show his face, thinking that he would plan to come.

When he came back this time, Xu Ping had made up his mind to be an official and no longer be cowardly from some small officials. Such things will become more and more common in the future.

The first custody of the Song Dynasty was the provincial government's examination, and the qualification to participate in the examination depends on recommendation. The privileges of officials at all levels vary, but at least there must be a few custodians with the status of tribute in the village. At this time, Xu Ping's reliable custodians were teacher Lin Wensi, Sang Yi, who worked together for a long time, and Guo Zi, the county chief clerk, may also be considered one. Before the next examination begins, he has to meet a few more custodians to obtain the qualification to participate in the examination. Fortunately, Kaifeng Prefecture has many quotas for tribute in the village, so it is not difficult to find custodians.

Of course, if you really have no choice, you can spend money to buy it. There will always be a failure in the election to exchange your reputation for money. However, the guarantor must bear joint and several liability. If the person who recommends a ignorant person, he will also be punished.

Xu Ping rode a horse, Lin Wensi and Sang Yi rode a donkey, and followed the soldiers sent by Cao Wei to Baisha Town.

As soon as I arrived in the town, I saw a large circle of people surrounded by Jiugui Pavilion from afar, including the soldiers brought by Cao Wei and the residents of Baisha Town watching there. Cao Wei was born in the generals and was in the northwest for a long time. He has outstanding military achievements and is a hero of this era. With the people of the Song Dynasty's love for fun, they naturally would not miss this opportunity to see living people.

Separated the crowd and the three of them came forward to greet each other.

Cao Wei pointed to a person beside him and said, "I, a junior, recommend the wine here to me, and it is extremely powerful and delicious. You must come and taste it. I have said a few times. Today, I have free time, and Mr. Lin also lives nearby, so I come and drink a drink together."

Lin Wensi said: "You are kind to the Grand Marshal. The wine here is made by me, my son-in-law. It is indeed a strong smell. Anyone who loves wine will praise you."

Xu Ping knew that this was recommending him, so he hurriedly stepped forward to greet him: "Xu Ping, the grass-rootsman, have met the Grand Marshal!"

After this period of polishing, although Xu Ping cannot be said to be handsome, he also has a heroic spirit.

Cao Wei nodded and said, "Ling Xun is such a young hero. I heard from this junior that he is not only agile, but also familiar with the battle formation. He even lost to you. Isn't it?"

Xu Ping had long seen the person next to Cao Wei that was Zhao Zi, but he didn't expect that he could climb the big tree and quickly replied: "The Taiwei praised it. It's all about playing, how can he take it seriously?"

Cao Wei smiled and it was hard to mention this matter in front of Zhao Zi, but he just kept it in his heart.

Everyone sat down, and Cao Wei said again: "I see that the couplets on this pavilion are very interesting. They must be written by people who truly love wine and their handwriting is extraordinary. I wonder who wrote it?"

Lin Wensi said: "The Taiwei is wise! This is written by Shi Manqing, Songcheng. A few months ago, Taiwei Li Yuanbo passed by the village for business and found it interesting after drinking the wine. He asked him to bring a few jars to Manqing, name the wine, and wrote this couplet on the pavilion."

Cao Wei said: "I have heard that there is a Shi Manqing, the best in the world who can drink in the capital. But I have always worked outside and have no chance to meet him. It's a pity! Since I'm here today, why not invite him to have a drink together? It's also an elegant thing!"

He immediately called a soldier beside him and asked him to take his famous sect back to the capital to ask Shi Yannian to come.

This is because Cao Wei was in a good mood and wanted to join in the fun. The most important thing is another point. Zhang Zhibai, who was kind to Shi Yannian, was the deputy envoy of the Privy Council at that time. Although he was excluded by the prime minister and had no real power, he was the nominal deputy military chief of the Song Dynasty. Cao Wei was excluded by Ding Wei a few years ago and wasted several times as a prefect in Jingdong. At this time, he was recruited again and was also determined to open up this link.

These little thoughts are inevitable when politicians interact with each other, and they are all human nature.

Xu Ping ordered the wine shop to pick up the wine heads that existed here, but there were only two small jars and placed them on the table. Cao Wei said embarrassedly: "The Taiwei came here unfortunately, there is only so much good wine in this top quality."

Cao Wei looked at the small pot and said, "Is this wine so precious?"

Xu Ping said: "I dare not hide it from the Grand Marshal. Only one hundred kilograms of good wine can produce one pound, which is really not much."

Cao Wei asked Zhao Zi next to him again: "Nephew, what do you think of this wine?"

Zhao Zi blushed and replied honestly: "To be honest, this wine is too expensive, my salary is meager, I can't afford to drink it, and never fall into my mouth."

Cao Wei sighed: "Pity Zhao Dujian died young and suffered you. Go back with me today and the mansion will give you a hundred guan of money for you to use."

Zhao Zi was at the age of spending time and money was always insufficient, so he hurriedly thanked him. His father had been in the northwest border defense for many years and was Cao Wei's colleague, so he didn't have to be polite.

The Song Dynasty said that it was to emphasize literature over military affairs, but it could not be generalized so simply. To put it in detail, it should be that the civil officials had a high political status and the income of military generals was high. Since the Taizu Dynasty, military generals were supported by high officials and generous salaries, and they did not treat them unfairly. However, civil officials were to understand the great righteousness and respect them with high positions, and the techniques were different.

As for the true meaning of this, Confucius said: "A gentleman is used to be righteous, and a villain is used to be profit." Treating civil officials with the way of a gentleman and treating military generals with the way of a villain is the fundamental reason why civil officials look down on military generals, not just because of differences in political status.

Although Cao Wei was excluded by Ding Wei, he still took the opportunity to observe and still had a generous salary and was not embarrassed at hand.

After comforting Zhao Zi, Cao Wei said again: "Since this wine is so precious, don't drink it all at once. Leave a jar of me and I'll take it away. I have time to find a few friends to taste it together. The little master just takes out the high-end wine you have here, and we'll drink it first, and then open that jar when Shi Manqing comes."

Xu Ping was a little embarrassed: "Teacher, the reason why there are only two jars of this wine left is because it was drunk by the Shi Guanren a few days ago, and it was too late to brew it for a while."

Cao Wei was surprised: "I heard that Shi Manqing was in a downturn, so where did he get so much money?"

Xu Ping said: "It was Caomin who invited him."

Cao Wei looked at Xu Ping and smiled: "You are generous!"

Xu Ping said: "Shi Guanren saved my life, what are these wines?"

Thinking of Cao Wei's many years of serving in the army, he felt a little moved and said what happened a few days ago, and finally said: "For life-saving, how can you get a few jars of wine!"

After hearing Xu Ping's words, Cao Wei's expression became solemn and asked Zhao Zi beside him: "Nephew, in your opinion, what are the origins of those five riding horses and killing people?"

Zhao Zi sighed: "Is this more than anything? According to the description of the little master, most of them are the imperial guards who came out of the camp. I just don't know who is so bold!"

Cao Wei thought for a while and spoke slowly: "The nearby military camps are in Wansheng Town in this county and the other is in Luguan Town in the neighboring county Weishi. As long as they are from the imperial guards, they cannot leave these two places."

"Come on," Cao Wei turned around and greeted his personal soldiers behind him, "Take my famous sect and go to these two camps separately, find the chief general, and ask them to hand over the people!"

The two personal soldiers responded and set off.

Seeing the two horses leaving, Xu Ping was stunned. Unexpectedly, Cao Wei still had this temper. But he is now a tiger going down the mountain, and he doesn't know whether it works.

Since his father Cao Bin, the Cao family has been in charge of military forces for generations, and both father and son have been famous generals in the world. Cao Wei was valued by the late emperor and was very famous in the army. If this small matter cannot be done well, it will really make Cao Wei lose face.

Xu Ping has been worried about how to find the five people on that day in the past few days. At this time, the flowers are bright and the flowers are bright. As long as these five people surrender and follow the clues, they will not worry about not being able to find the person behind the scenes.
Chapter completed!