Two days have passed since the Iron Fist and Golden Whip Professor Lin's battle with the Cheung Chau County government officials, and the time has entered March, but the popularity is still unabated.
In this month of warm spring and blooming flowers, it is the best season for ladies to go out in spring, and the peak period of various celebrity gatherings is about to come.
The news that Wang Shizhen, the old alliance leader who has been in charge of the literary world for decades, is coming to Suzhou City will make Suzhou scholars full of expectations for this spring.
But on the first day of March, there was only one thing that could be called the focus of the city, and that was the meeting and negotiation between the two major magistrates of Suzhou City.
A striking white line was drawn in the middle of Yinma Bridge, and the two magistrates had to negotiate across this white line.
This is not pretentious or too much, but a last resort.
The degree of freedom of officials in the Ming Dynasty was not as high as most people imagined, especially local officials who were responsible for protecting the territory.
It is strictly forbidden to leave the county territory without authorization when serving as a magistrate. Once you leave the county territory, you will immediately be deemed to have neglected your duties.
But it is impossible for two county magistrates who are both in Suzhou City to talk to each other at the top of their voices across the street or river. That would be too unofficial.
So the best option is to choose a boundary bridge and meet on the bridge to facilitate close conversations.
However, in order to clarify the county boundaries and prevent both parties from accidentally crossing the border due to excessive excitement, a conspicuous white line was symbolically drawn on the bridge.
If the two magistrates are on both sides of the white line, they can communicate face-to-face and in a safe manner.
However, the space on the arched bridge deck is limited, so it is impossible for the two magistrates to shout in front of each other as usual.
Therefore, each county magistrate only brought two people to the bridge. One was responsible for holding up the Qingluo umbrella that symbolized the authority of the parents, and the other was responsible for running errands and delivering messages. The rest of the entourage could only wait under the bridge.
It was under this circumstance that two officials from Suzhou City, Feng Qu, the magistrate of Wu County, and Deng He, the magistrate of Changzhou County, met.
Many people who didn't mind watching the excitement also came after hearing the news, but they couldn't get close and could only watch from a distance.
Although no conversation could be heard, it could be seen from the "gesticulating" movements of the magistrates that a very passionate exchange took place immediately after the two parents got on the bridge.
Magistrate Feng of Wuxian County: "When we set up a monument to Mr. Fan Wenzheng, your signature on the monument is actually in front of me, the magistrate of Wuxian County!"
Magistrate Deng of Changzhou County: "You also wrote a postscript on the monument alone, so why are you accusing me again?"
Magistrate Feng: "Fan Wenzhenggong's grave is in Tianping Mountain, Wuxian County. As the magistrate of Wuxian County, isn't it natural for me, the magistrate of Wuxian County, to write an inscription?"
Deng Zhixian: "Bah! Fan Wen is the Fan Wenzheng of the whole Suzhou City, and Suzhou City doesn't just refer to your Wu County! I should also have a share in the postscript!"
Feng Zhixian: "I asked you to sign before me because you are a senior in the examination room. You actually want to go to Shu?"
The attendants on both sides couldn't stand it any longer, so they coughed a few times and reminded the two parents to pay attention to today's topic and not to go too far off topic.
Deng He, the magistrate of Changzhou County who was an official in the same city, knew the character of Magistrate Feng of Wu County very well. Unless his personal interests were involved, Magistrate Feng was mostly a good old man.
Therefore, Deng Zhixian took the lead in making an aggressive accusation: "Lin Tailai, your grain clerk from Wu County, injured fifty government officials in our Changzhou County. Don't you, Wu County, want to give an explanation?"
Feng Zhixian of Wuxian County didn't seem to be interested in this kind of thing. It might be that the calligrapher beat up the yamen servant, which was really not as important as leaving his name on Fan Wenzheng's monument.
Anyway, his term of office was coming soon, so Feng Zhixian just yawned and raised his chin towards the handyman holding the umbrella cover.
Then I saw the handyman holding an umbrella in Wuxian County and said, "The bully Xu family from Changzhou County went to Wuxian County and smashed the entrance of the Hall of the Righteous Soldiers who was assisting the county government in collecting taxes. Why didn't County Deng give an explanation first?"
Magistrate Deng snorted coldly: "That was something done by the Xu family. Why should the county government be responsible for it?"
The handyman holding the umbrella responded: "What happened in Changzhou County was just a fight between a rogue and fifty government officials. What responsibility does the Wuxian County government have to bear?"
Magistrate Deng was furious. Magistrate Feng was so rude that you asked a handyman to come forward and talk to him! You are so eloquent on horseback!
The government official holding the umbrella in Changzhou County suddenly approached Deng Zhixian, his home, and with his teeth chattering, he reported: "Sir, you have an iron fist and a golden whip for this person who is talking to you!"
Damn it! Magistrate Deng was suddenly shocked and immediately looked at the handyman holding the umbrella opposite.
But I saw that this man had big eyes. Even though he was wearing a long robe, if you look closely, you can still see that this man has a strong back and waist, and he is really majestic.
It's just that because the arc-shaped arch bridge has an uneven deck, the man standing behind holding an umbrella is a few steps lower than Feng Zhixian, so he doesn't appear to be that tall.
After being shocked, Deng Zhixian pointed at Lin Tailai holding the umbrella cover and asked Feng Zhixian: "You actually let him appear here. Is it a deliberate provocation?"
Feng Zhixian asked in surprise: "You also know that he is the county government clerk. What's the problem with being here to hold the umbrella cover?"
Magistrate Deng was immediately puzzled, and then tested Magistrate Feng again: "This villain named Lin beat up fifty government officials in Changzhou County in broad daylight!
From Yaqian Street all the way to Yinma Bridge, there are so many evil deeds!
As long as you hand this person over to Changzhou County, everything will be wiped out, and the county may be able to provide additional compensation."
However, Feng Zhixian was unmoved and resolutely protected him to the end: "Let him voluntarily surrender. If he is willing to surrender, the county will not stop him."
Magistrate Deng couldn't understand. How many bribes did you, Feng Qu, take? Or did you take the wrong Ecstasy to protect and condone this thug like this?
If this person really had so much money to bribe the county magistrate, would he still join a gang and work as a thug?
Besides, I never heard that you, Feng Qu, like men. Even if you are looking for prostitutes, Lin Zhuangshi is not popular.
Deng He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it for the time being. Deng He, the magistrate of Deng County, asked from a different angle: "Feng Qu! You are also the honorable person of the county sitting in court. You should know what it means to be decent in an official office!"
You and I are parents and officials in the same city, and it is our shared responsibility to maintain the dignity of the government office!
Although the incident happened in Changzhou County, you didn’t feel the same way in Wu County at all, and you don’t feel the same way?”
Feng Zhixian was not easy to respond to these words of sympathy, but a handyman holding a Qingluo umbrella suddenly intervened and answered:
"Mr. Deng County, you are overthinking this. He is just a troublemaker who failed to file a complaint, and he was fighting with the county government officials outside, not in the county government office!
Just like those officers who were dragged to build rivers, if they got into a fight, would Mr. Deng feel that he had lost the dignity of the government?"
"Bastard!" Magistrate Deng said angrily: "Who do you think you are! Do you have the qualifications to show off your words like a stickman here!"
The prestige of the county magistrate cannot be insulted, so Professor Lin did not dare to face the scolding directly and muttered: "I don't want to just talk."
But Magistrate Deng's ears were too sensitive, so he heard it and shouted sternly: "Do you still dare to attack this county?"
Professor Lin, who was standing behind his home magistrate and holding an umbrella canopy, unable to move at will, suddenly felt blessed and said, as if very arrogantly: "You can't move! You can't reach it!"
Magistrate Deng has been magistrate in various places for seven or eight years. What kind of unruly people have he not seen? He has personally gone into battle to suppress bandits, but he is still afraid of a mere Lin Tailai's fight?
He took the initiative to take a few steps forward and sneered at Professor Lin: "Now that we are here, if you have the courage, try it. If I don't send you three thousand miles away, I won't be an official anymore!"
Lin Tailai suddenly pointed to the ground and shouted in surprise: "That's right! That's right! Mr. Deng has crossed the line! You left the country without authorization and seriously neglected your duty. Just wait to be punished by the patrol!"
Deng Zhi County: "."
Damn it! You bastard! All the blood in Deng Zhixian’s body seemed to rush to his head. His face turned red with anger. He reached out and grabbed Lin Tailai and started beating him!
The class gap between them was too great. Lin Tailai didn't dare to fight back, so he could only dodge left and right while holding up his umbrella.
Fights these days also depend on class. For example, if a good citizen fights a government servant, it might not be a big deal if he wins.
It is a serious crime for a good citizen to beat an official, but if you are promoted to an official, beating each other will not be so serious, and even beating a relative of the emperor may not be a big deal.
Therefore, in order to make it easier to hit people, you must also work hard to improve your own class.
Although Professor Lin's face was avoided, he was holding an umbrella canopy and being on the steps, which was very difficult to dodge, so he still received a few blows on his body, but he didn't feel much.
However, Deng Zhixian only felt that his fists were getting more and more painful. This Lin thief was definitely hiding evil intentions, and he was actually wearing a dark armor under his long gown!
Feng Zhixian quickly acted like a good old man and stopped Deng Zhixian and advised: "Forget it, forget it! The adults don't care about the villain's faults!"
The people watching from a distance were bored because they couldn't hear the conversation at all.
Suddenly, I found that the scene became exciting, and I burst into enthusiastic cheers. My parents were beating someone in the street!
"You want to protect him?" Zhixian Deng took another step, stepped back behind the white line, and shouted to Zhixian Feng.
A certain handyman holding an umbrella said back: "But Mr. Deng, you also protected the Xu family!"
Magistrate Deng didn't want to get involved in this topic, so what if he received benefits from the Xu family?
Leng Buding heard the handyman opposite holding an umbrella say again: "Mr. Deng, you don't want to be regarded as a member of Shen Shoufu's party, do you?"
When the onlookers were filled with greater expectations, the two sides suddenly separated completely on the bridge, and then each turned around and returned.
As if inadvertently, everything was over.
Lin Tailai held up the umbrella cover and was about to wait for Magistrate Feng to return to the Yamen when someone suddenly stepped aside and grabbed his arm.
Lin Tailai was furious, who was so bold as to dare to attack him, oh no, the county honor guard?
He turned around to look, only to find that the person coming was actually Mr. Feng Shike and Mr. Feng.
At some point, Feng Shike grabbed a front row seat and crowded under the bridge with the county government officials to watch the fun.
The same surname is Feng, but this one is older than the county magistrate Feng. You know, Feng Shike was already in the fourth rank before he resigned last year!
"Second Master, do you, an elegant person like you, also come to see such vulgar excitement?" Lin Tailai asked in surprise.
Feng Shike said angrily: "I'm so lonely! Come with me and tell me what's going on?"
He really didn't understand why Magistrate Feng tried so hard to protect Lin Tailai; and what Lin Tailai said made Magistrate Deng suddenly retreat.
Lin Tailai raised the Qingluo umbrella cover and replied: "I have my responsibility."
Feng Shike turned around and said to Magistrate Feng: "Please replace someone in your county. I will use this thug named Lin to speak!"
