Taizhou was one of the Linhai prefectures in the Tang Dynasty and was named after Tiantai Mountain within its territory.
It belonged to Kuaiji during the Han Dynasty, but was classified as a separate state in the Tang Dynasty. Because the population was less than 20,000 households, it was classified as Xiazhou.
The state is divided into five counties, of which Linhai County is the central area of Taizhou, and the governor's office was established in Linhai County.
After a month's journey, Wu Chengsi and others finally arrived at Linhai.
It was July, and if he were in Chang'an, the weather would be unbearably hot. However, as he headed south, Wu Chengsi clearly felt that the climate was getting cooler.
That afternoon, the four of them asked passers-by and learned that Linhai County was less than twenty miles away, so they slowed down and found a tea shed to rest on the road.
Suddenly, Zhugenan stretched out his thumb and pointed in one direction. Wu Chengsi glanced at it and couldn't help but secretly laugh.
Not far away, Xu Wenqing and her tall maid were hiding behind a tree.
One of them also folded a lotus leaf and held it above his head, looking like he was holding an umbrella.
Ever since they parted at the Nanfeng Inn that day, the master and servant had been following Wu Chengsi. Their tracking skills were as poor as their makeup skills.
However, Wu Chengsi did not expose them and allowed them to follow.
He was already somewhat interested in these two people, and they happened to be going to Taizhou. When they parted ways at Nanfeng Inn, he even invited them to go with him.
Unexpectedly, Xu Wenqingjing rejected him.
However, after refusing, the girl followed him all the way, which really confused him.
At this moment, the master and servant discussed for a while, threw away the lotus leaves, and walked towards the tea shed together.
"Hey, isn't this Mr. Wu? What a coincidence!" Xu Wenqing looked like he suddenly met Wu Chengsi.
"Yes, what a coincidence." Wu Chengsi was very cooperative.
Xu Wenqing walked to the table and stared at the chair on Zhugenan's butt.
Zhugenan knew she wanted to sit here, so he laughed and ran to Han Cheng to sit next to him.
Xu Wenqing smiled and said: "Thank you." He sat down with Lu Wei and asked Wu Chengsi: "Master Wu, what are you doing in Taizhou?"
Wu Chengsi said: "Do some personal things."
Xu Wenqing said "Oh" and said enthusiastically: "Master Wu, my uncle serves as the county magistrate in Linhai County. You have helped me on the road. Why don't you stay at my uncle's house?"
Wu Chengsi said: "Thank you for your kindness, but I won't be staying in Taizhou for too long, so I won't bother you."
Xu Wenqing looked disappointed, lowered his head and remained silent.
At this moment, several riders suddenly came from the official road, riding very fast, and in just a gust of wind, they rushed to the vicinity of the tea shed.
Xu Wenqing suddenly shouted, and Wu Chengsi also had a hint of anger on his brows.
Among the few horses passing by, one had a rope tied to his horse's tail, and the other end of the rope was tied to a man wearing dark blue clothes.
The man was dragged along the ground like a sandbag.
Zhuge Nan was furious, stood up and started to save people, but was held back by Zhuge Sanyuan.
Zhuge Sanyuan looked at Wu Chengsi and asked, "Master, do you care?"
Wu Chengsi nodded.
Zhuge Sanyuan released Zhuge Nan's hand, stretched out two fingers, held a chopstick, and threw it into the distance.
As he moved, the rope dragging the man in blue broke.
The few people riding horses in front were still unaware of it. After a while, the horse team disappeared at the end of the road.
Zhugenan came to the side of the dragged man and saw that he was seriously injured and had fallen into a coma.
"Sir, this man is seriously injured and needs to see a doctor." Zhugenan carried the man to the tea shed and said.
At this moment, the tea stall owner came over and said with a grimace: "Guests, you'd better put this man back on the road, otherwise he will cause trouble."
Zhuge Nan raised his chin and said, "Do you think we are people who are afraid of trouble?"
Zhuge Sanyuan glared at him, told him to shut up, and asked with a smile: "Shopkeeper, I wonder what kind of trouble you will get into?"
The shopkeeper kept his eyes on the official road, as if he was worried that those people would come back at any time, and replied:
"You don't know that those people just now are from Pingchang Man's House. In Linhai County, they are absolutely forbidden to offend."
Xu Wenqing asked curiously: "Who is the Pingchang man? Is he older than the county magistrate?"
The shopkeeper waved his hands and said: "Don't talk about County Magistrate Wang, even the governor has to give Pingchang Man a few points."
"Wang, Magistrate Wang? Isn't the surname of Linhai County Magistrate Sun?" Xu Wenqing's big eyes were as wide as an owl.
The shopkeeper said: "County Magistrate Sun was transferred a month ago, and now we only have Magistrate Wang!"
Xu Wenqing slowly lowered his head and stared at the table in a daze.
She came all the way to Haihai just to find her uncle Sun County Magistrate to rescue her father, but unexpectedly he was transferred away.
After a pause, she raised her head again and asked: "Shopkeeper, do you know where County Magistrate Sun has been transferred?"
"I heard that he was transferred to a county in Lingnan to serve as county magistrate."
"..."
Not only has the official position been reduced, but the person being transferred is still Lingnan, which is almost the same as being assigned to a new position.
Xu Wenqing felt sad for a moment, lying on the table and sobbing.
At this moment, a gentle voice came from the side: "Miss Xu, has something happened at home?"
When he looked up, he saw that the person asking the question was Wu Chengsi.
There was a feeling of grievance in her heart, and she said with tears in her eyes: "Master Wu, my father is the governor of Yangzhou. He was framed and sent to prison... wuwu..."
Wu Chengsi had already guessed that she was a young lady from an official family, but he did not expect that she was actually the daughter of Yangzhou Governor.
The governor of Yangzhou and the chief minister were both Wu Mei people.
Including these two people, he had read all the files placed by Wu Mei in the Huainan and Jiangnan roads before setting off.
Xu Yuanju, the governor of Yangzhou, was a very capable person.
During his five years in Yangzhou, he doubled the tax revenue of the entire Yangzhou, which Wu Chengsi remembered particularly deeply.
Such a person must be very shrewd and would not be framed so easily. Moreover, with the help of Yuan Shutong, the governor of Yangzhou, he should not be fooled so easily.
However, judging from his daughter's words, Xu Yuanju still stumbled, which showed that the situation in Yangzhou was more serious than he imagined.
Wu Chengsi decided to intervene in Xu Wenqing's affairs, both public and private. Just as he was about to leave, a clear voice suddenly came from beside him.
"I have heard for a long time that Xu Yuanju, the governor of Yangzhou, was a good official. It is really sad that he was framed and imprisoned unexpectedly."
Turning around, I saw that the person speaking was a young man wearing yellow turban.
This man had an aura of wealth and nobility about him, and he looked to be two years younger than Wu Chengsi. Behind him stood a skinny old man with downcast eyes.
When the young master saw Xu Wenqing looking over, he smiled and said:
"Miss Xu, although I have never met your father, I have admired him for a long time. Now that something like this happens to him, I will never sit idly by and ignore it, and I invite you to come and talk."
Xu Wenqing did not reply to his words, and his tearful eyes turned back to Wu Chengsi.
Although she sometimes lacks strength, sometimes she is more vigilant than anyone else, otherwise she would not refuse Wu Chengsi's invitation to Shangzhou.
After her observation along the way, she concluded that Wu Chengsi was not a bad person, so she asked him for help.
Wu Chengsi glanced at Mr. Huang Shan and saw that he looked a little embarrassed after being ignored by Xu Wenqing. He smiled and said:
"Don't worry, Miss Xu. Once I finish my business in Taizhou, I will go to Yangzhou and try to rescue your father."
Xu Wenqing was surprised and delighted: "Seriously?"
Wu Chengsi smiled and nodded.
Xu Wenqing wiped his tears and said with a smile: "Well, what do you want to do in Taizhou? I will help you."
Wu Chengsi recalled the silly things she had done on the road and thought it would be better not to let her know about his affairs, lest she spill the beans.
"Thank you for your kindness, girl, but what I have to do is just small things, so I don't need help."
Xu Wenqing believed it and said with a smile: "Okay then."
Wu Chengsi called the tea shopkeeper over again and asked: "Top shopkeeper, is the Pingchang man you just mentioned named Wu Wei?"
Hearing the word Wuwei, the shopkeeper couldn't help but tremble.
Seeing Wu Chengsi's extraordinary demeanor, he probed: "My guest, do you know Mr. Wu Nan?"
Wu Chengsi shook his head.
The shopkeeper smiled apologetically and said, "Sir, I'm very busy here. If you want to find out something, you can ask someone else." After saying that, he left quickly.
Wu Chengsi raised his eyebrows.
The shopkeeper was obviously afraid of Wu Wei, so he didn't dare to talk behind his back. In addition, Wu Wei's subordinates tortured others in that way just now.
It seems that he is indeed the dominant figure in Linhai County as Zhou Sang said.
At this moment, hearing the sound of horse hooves, Wuwei's group of men on horseback finally realized that they were missing and came back.