Chapter 38 Pretend to be innocent and talk nonsense
Two rows of chairs have been placed in the lobby for the merchants to sit down, but where can most of them sit? The government announced that it would raise food and wages, which naturally made the merchants bleed.
Because of this, when Ximen Qing staggered in, all the merchants immediately felt like they could rely on him. Everyone knew that Ximen Qing was now a popular figure in front of Zhu Zhi County, he was easy to talk to and easy to do.
That old fox in Zhuzhi County talks to you with a smile on his face, but he is constantly thinking about how to get more money from you.
Without any discussion, the merchants gave Ximen Qing the seat with the best lighting and the most comfortable chair to sit on. Of course, this location was also directly facing Zhu Zhi County in the middle.
As Ximen Qing sat down casually, the merchants turned sideways, like sunflowers toward the sun, towards Ximen Qing, all pretending to be listening and waiting for him to speak.
Seeing the posture of the stars holding the moon, Ximen Qing felt funny in his heart. He touched his mutton-fat jade pendant and coughed: "Who already knows the ins and outs of the matter? Since the magistrate is not here, I will tell you first and let everyone listen.
.Let me state it first, I don’t know anything.” The government is going to bring us over to discuss raising food and salary. I don’t know who is the one who doesn’t have enough food and salary.”
"Old Li, your grain store is the first to bear the brunt. If you don't donate hundreds of loads of grain, how can the county magistrate let you go?" Boss Zhang from the silk cloth shop next to him said, "I don't care. Anyway, the cloth cannot be sold over the years.
It's going to be bad if you keep it in the warehouse, so I just took some out and made a contribution."
"Boss Zhang, don't be ridiculous, your moth-eaten cloth can be considered as food and salary? Are you letting the soldiers fighting in the front chew the ends of the cloth?" A chubby businessman sneered: "Zhuhu... The magistrate has appointed you to let you
If you pay me in cash, I won't ask for your cloth."
"Everyone." Ximen Qing saw that they couldn't get to the point, so he hurriedly interrupted: "These people are so ordinary, where can they fight?"
"Our Great Song Dynasty is not at peace." Shopkeeper Li looked worried: "We have been fighting Xixia for several years, but there is no result. Last winter, even the Jingxia City built by Souchong Manager in Xiweiping was completely lost.
Well, not a single one of the thousands of officers and soldiers in Jingxia City escaped."
"What?" Ximen Qing sat up straight: "Did the Xixia people come over?"
"Then they don't dare." Shopkeeper Li replied: "Jingxia City is originally a nail that penetrates into the territory of Xixia. The Xixia people have pulled out the nail, but they also need to prevent our army from counterattacking. There is a small manager, Mr. Xiang, sitting in charge.
They don’t dare!”
Then shopkeeper Li sighed: "It's just a pity that not a single grain of grain in the northwest is allowed to be sold, and it is all used as military ration. I heard that Mr. Xiangzhong, the manager, is calling on all the people to prepare for a counterattack!"
Ximen Qing recited it twice in his mind. He suddenly thought of Lu Zhishen, the flower monk. He didn’t know whether he was still a monk or had already gone to Liangshan. After beating Zhenguan to death with three punches, he suddenly thought of him.
Before he came to the West, Lu Zhishen, still called Luda by his lay name, served as a governor under Souchong Jinglue!
Where is this charming Master Lu now?
"Is it possible that the raising of food and wages this time is an order from the souchong manager?" Ximen Qing asked doubtfully: "Didn't the imperial court allocate food and wages?"
"The imperial court... hum," the chubby businessman directly interrupted: "That guy Tong Guan has already swallowed up the food and salary, including the leather and fur. How can there be any food and salary allocated to it? Naturally, each county raises it on its own."
"That should be funded by the counties in the northwest. Why did it come to our Qinghe County?" Ximen Qing asked.
"I don't know." The chubby businessman thought for a while: "But it is said that an officer came and was originally from this county. I don't know what it means. The county magistrate is still very nervous."
"Oh." Ximen Qing was sorting out the cause and effect. As the master came in, he coughed twice, and then the old fox from Zhu Zhi County waddled into the lobby.
Everyone immediately stood up and saluted, and Ximen Qing also bowed his hands: "I have met the magistrate!"
"There are so many people here." Zhu Zhixian glanced at him, and with a straight face, he changed his original image of a smiling fox and motioned for everyone to sit down: "You may have heard that I asked you to come here to raise food and wages.
."
"This time, in order to raise food and wages for the northwest army, Lieutenant Tong specially sent the next Lieutenant Bai to supervise the matter. He should arrive soon."
The surname is Bai? Ximen Qing immediately thought of the guy whose surname was Bai, whose given name was Guang and whose courtesy name was Yaozu. Could he be a relative?
"Brother! I didn't expect that you would be so wronged after two years of fighting in the northwest!" An officer in full military uniform paced in the backyard of the inn with a murderous look on his face: "That guy Ximen Qing, how could you do this so easily?
Let it go!”
Doctor Bai's face was full of fear: "Brother, this Ximen Qing is now a county captain and a popular figure in front of the county magistrate. To be honest, you are just a captain accompanying the army, so you can't make mistakes."
"Humph!" Lieutenant Bai screamed, pulled out half of his waist knife, and inserted it viciously: "Although I, Bai Song, don't have a high official position now, I have the task of supervising food and salary management, not to mention a small
County captain, even the county magistrate is no problem."
"You must not kill anyone." Doctor Bai said with hesitant eyes, "The magistrate must have a bad face."
"Hehe. I heard that this Ximen Qing is now the richest man in Qinghe. As the saying goes, kill the chicken to scare the monkeys!" Bai Song's eyes flashed green: "This time I will attack this guy, and Zhu Zhixian has nothing to say."
"Let's go!" Bai Song waved his cloak, called to his two soldiers, mounted his horse and headed to the county government hall, running rampant along the way and knocking over many stalls.
As Bai Song's biological brother, Dr. Bai knew very well that his brother had a bad temper and was prone to murder and arson, so he deliberately provoked Bai Song with words to make Bai Song furious and must kill Ximen Qing; only by killing Ximen Qing could he be able to fight in Qinghe.
The county raised its head again, instead of staying in the backyard of this long-closed inn all day.
Doctor Bai looked at his brother's back and showed a ferocious face: "Ximen Qing, you are a bird, today next year, I will personally visit your grave!"
"Coming, coming!" Following the rapid sound of horse hooves, Bai Song led two soldiers into the lobby with murderous intent.
"Master Magistrate, Bai is here!" Bai Song glanced around and found Ximen Qing in the crowd. He did not salute Magistrate Zhu at all, but just waved his hand slightly, even if he had seen him before.
"This guy is so rude!" Everyone in the room felt this way at the same time, especially the magistrate sitting in the hall.
Zhu Zhixian received the official document yesterday and only then did he know that a school lieutenant came to supervise the payment of food and wages. He thought that a small school captain must be polite when he saw him, so that the supervision of food and payment could go smoothly.
Unexpectedly, this guy rushed into the lobby arrogantly and did not take Zhu Zhixian seriously at all.
Zhu Zhixian was having his luck when he heard Bai Song shout a series of: "Who is Ximen Qing! Stand up for me!"
"Which one of you is Ximen Qing!"
"You had the guts to bully my brother, and now you're shrinking back!"
Ximen Qing immediately understood what was going on. The Bai Song in front of him was most likely the younger brother of Bai Guang, and he wanted to take care of himself by supervising the food and salary errands.
Just kidding! I have a top passive skill: the protagonist’s aura. How can I still be afraid of you?
Ximen Qing silently cast a few glances, and the merchants nearby understood what he meant. Seeing the unkind look on Bai Song's side, they all knew what Ximen Qing meant.
So, Ximen Qing took the lead, and everyone pretended to be innocent and looked at the roaring Bai Song, pretending to be "Who is Ximen Qing?"
"Captain Bai, wait a minute!" Zhu Zhixian stood up and shouted: "This is the lobby of the county government, no roaring is allowed. If anything happens, it is up to the officer to make the decision!"
Bai Song turned his head and looked at Magistrate Zhu fiercely: "When Bai was killing Xixia people in the northwest, you were sitting here peacefully as magistrate. Isn't it very comfortable?"
"You are not a good dog official. You bullied my brother with Ximen Qing. In Bai's eyes, your county government hall is like an enemy camp. Just rush in and out. They will recognize you, a dog official!"
"Point out that birdie Ximen Qing to me, or I'll beat you, the dog officer, too!"
After blurting out "dog official" several times, Zhu Zhixian had the urge to lift the table. Suddenly he saw Ximen Qing blinking at him, coughed, and said tentatively: "Ximen Qing..."
"Ximen Qing went to Henghai County to visit friends and hasn't come back yet!" Ximen Qing stood up, took over what Zhu Zhixian said, and turned his back to Zhu Zhixian with an OK gesture.
Although Zhu Zhixian couldn't understand what the gesture was, and he didn't know what Ximen Qingda's idea was, he also knew that he should see how Ximen Qing performed next.
"What!" Bai Song frowned: "What's your name? Don't fool me!"
"The villain's surname is Dongmen, and his single name is Ting. He runs a pawnshop in Qinghe County." Ximen Qing was eloquent and went on without frowning: "Ximen Qing did go to Henghai County. He just left.
General, you are here soon!"
"General, if you don't believe me, just ask!" Ximen Qing vowed with a swipe of his hand: "Boss Zhang, Shopkeeper Li, tell me!"
All the merchants were experienced traders for many years. When they saw Ximen Qing talking nonsense, they all suppressed their laughter and cooperated.
"That's right! I watched him leave in the morning!" Boss Li, who runs the food store, nodded.
"That's right! I said hello when I left the west gate!" Boss Zhang of Silk Cloth Store swore.
Zhu Zhixian simply sat back and watched the show with a smile.
Bai Song saw that everyone in the merchants was saying this, so he believed it a little, and with Ximen Qing's two words of "general", he was flattering enough and a little arrogant.
He was just a small lieutenant in the army, but in Ximen Qing's words, he became a general. He was indeed a countryman who had never seen the world.
"That fellow Ximen Qing, you have caused me so much misery! General, you have to make the decision for me!" Ximen Qing rolled his eyes and stamped his feet, as if he was gnashing his teeth.