The city gate official opposite was stunned when he heard this, and hurriedly looked at Gao Cheng with an incredible expression on his face. "Gao Ziming? Are you actually back?"

The city gate official was named Lu Hong, whose courtesy name was Zizheng. He was born in the Lu family in Huai'an. His family was considered a local tyrant in the county town. However, there were no famous strong men or officials in his ancestors. He was even lower in status than the small family of Gao. Lu Hong was just a concubine of the Lu family and his status in his family was not high.

After all, the Han Dynasty was the world of aristocratic families. Local tyrants did not have prominent backgrounds and powerful cultivation techniques as their foundation, and would not be recognized by all the families in the world. At most, they were called good families. There were some benefits when they were in the army and could serve as low-level officials, but that was all. The prefect and high-ranking officials above the county magistrate were basically monopolized by all the families in the world. When the world was stable, poor families and local tyrants had to pay a huge price for every step forward.

Gao Cheng had met Lu Hong several times before, but the relationship was not close.

Lu Hong was secretly surprised. A few months ago, he heard that Gao Cheng had sold his family's shop and went to Yingchuan Academy to study with him. Unexpectedly, Taiping Road would then start a violent war. Among them, Yuzhou, where Yingchuan Academy is located, is the core of the war. The children of the aristocratic families in Huai'an City said that this person must have died at the hands of the Yellow Turban thieves.

Unexpectedly, after a few months, he actually returned safely with hundreds of people, and his temperament was very different from before. If it weren't for the fact that there had not changed much, he would have thought the other party had changed.

Hearing the conversation between Lu Hong and Gao Cheng, the city gate officers and soldiers realized that it turned out that this was not a caravan, but Gao Cheng from Gao's family in the city had returned. The soldiers showed disappointment on their faces and thought they could make some money this time, but now it seems that there is no hope.

The other party's father was once the county magistrate. Although he passed away, he also left some connections for his son. If these soldiers dared to reach out to Gao Cheng, it would be an offense to the dignity of the aristocratic family. Without Gao Cheng coming forward, the aristocratic family of officials in the city would suppress them and squeeze them out.

Gao Cheng noticed the expressions of these soldiers and couldn't help but smile, waved his hand and asked Gao Tai to give him a small bag of Wuzhu coins, and said, "Brother Zizheng, I just rushed back from Xia Pi and need to go home to organize the house. I can't talk to my brother for the time being. This is three thousand coins. My brother will buy wine for his subordinates!"

The city gate officials and the soldiers guarding the city were nothing in front of the noble families, but they also had some power, especially Lu Hong, who deserved his dating and winning over.

Gao Cheng had just returned to Huai'an and was preparing to rest for a while without attracting attention. When his family soldiers and servants settled down, he would come to settle accounts with Mei Lin, who had deceived himself and used extremely low money to take over half of Gao's family's family business.

Not to mention Chen Yuan for now, Mei Lin is a child of the Mei family in Huai'an and a member of the aristocratic family. It is not difficult for Gao Cheng to kill the other party with his current strength, but there is no sufficient reason and it is easy to be rejected by other aristocratic families. After all, when Mei Lin and his original body were trading, both parties voluntarily.

It would not be enough for Gao Cheng to seek revenge on the grounds of being deceived.

Lu Hong in front of him is a local snake in Huai'an. He is very well-informed. He is much stronger than the original nerd and Gao Cheng now. Whether Gao Cheng gained a foothold in Huai'an or seeking revenge on Mei Lin, he cannot do without such a person's help.

Lu Hong is a person with clear eyes, otherwise he would not be able to hold the position of the city gate official as a city gate official. After all, the city gate official is also a member of the county magistrate and a formal official position. I wonder how many poor disciples are jealous of this position.

Feeling that the other party was intentional to show goodwill, he did not refuse. He took the bag of Wuzhu coins and threw it to the soldiers next to him. He glanced at the three hundred elite soldiers behind Gao Cheng and immediately smiled: "I thank Brother Ziming for your generosity on behalf of all the brothers. Alas, if it weren't for the rampant water thieves in Baima Lake, we wouldn't have been so embarrassed. Some brothers' homes would be almost out of trouble. These water thieves are really hateful!"

As he said that, he took the initiative to take Gao Cheng toward the city gate. The two talked for a while, and Gao Cheng also had a simple understanding of the situation in Huai'an City these days.

Since the Yellow Turbans started, wars have spread everywhere. Before the Yellow Turban soldiers of many counties and counties have arrived, many bandits and rangers who are unwilling to be lonely have emerged to take advantage of the chaos. The Baima Lake water pirates in the south of Huai'an City are one of them. Especially the leader of the water pirates, they are very strong. It is said that the merchant ships of the Chen family in Guangling were robbed and killed by the other party. They did not give the county family any face at all.

When he was about to pass the city gate, Lu Hong hesitated for a moment, and then whispered: "Brother Ziming, after the Yellow Turban Thiefs rose up a few months ago, Gao's 300 acres of land outside the city and the farm seemed to have been occupied by others. Now that you come back, these people may not give in. You must be careful next!"

After saying this, Lu Hong quickly took two steps back and said, "Brother Ziming, I still have to continue guarding the city gate. It is not convenient to talk more. We will have a drink together if we have the chance..."

Gao Cheng's face remained unchanged, and he nodded at him with a smile on his face, then took Gao Tai, Zhou Cang and a convoy into the city, and walked along the street towards the direction where Gao's house was located.

As soon as he left the city gate, Gao Cheng's face changed instantly, and a sneer appeared. "It's really a good person who is bullied by others. The original nerd has not been refined into the Zhixu Sutra. He has a weak personality. As long as he is recognized, he rarely doubts it. Now he has been cheated of half of his family business by the so-called friends!"

"I even went to Yingchuan and didn't do anything. The others thought he died in the chaos and took away the remaining 300 acres of land!"

Gao Cheng also had a skin from the Guangling Gao family. If he was just an ordinary citizen, his family's land was occupied by other aristocratic families and had nowhere to seek justice. The Han Dynasty governed the world with filial piety and emphasized the relatives and hidden relatives. The aristocratic families in Huai'an each had close ties, and covering up each other's crimes was also in line with the national conditions of the Han Dynasty.

The local aristocratic families are connected to each other and form a powerful force entrenched in the local area. Even the county magistrate of Huai'an City, when they come here to serve as officials, must consider the attitude of the aristocratic families in the city. Some of the weaker county magistrates simply become puppets of the aristocratic families in the city.

However, it would be fine if these aristocratic families bully others. If they provoke Gao Cheng, he would never give in at all. He originally planned to keep a low profile for a while, but if the farm has no land and farm, how can he keep a low profile?

Huai'an City is not as majestic as Xiapi City, but the city is also very wide. Gao Cheng's original memory was that there were many merchants in the city. Now, affected by war and water thieves, there have been fewer merchants, and only some people are left walking on the streets.

Four hundred people were walking on the streets with several carriages. Many people looked at each other. They could feel that this group of people was a little difficult to mess with, especially the three hundred elite soldiers with evil spirits, which gave people a sense of fear.
Chapter completed!