Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 315 Distress
"Shopkeeper, pay the bill!" Following Zhao Laosan's shout, the shopkeeper jogged over.

"Two guest officers, a total of 35 Wen!"

Zhao Laosan reached into his arms, took out a dime of broken silver and slapped it on the table, "Change!"

The shopkeeper gave him a surprised look, picked up the broken silver and went to the counter.After weighing with a small scale, he took out a cloth bag from under the counter, and after counting several times, put more than a dozen pennies in the drawer, and ran over with the small cloth bag: "Guest officer, there is no more broken silver in this store. They are looking for your 110 five coins, they are all copper coins, not iron coins, if you don’t believe me, you can take a look at them!”

"I've hit the hit! Sixth son carry the bag, let's go!"

Zhao Laosan waved his hands impatiently, stood up and went straight to the store door, Xu Liuzi picked up his purse and followed.

After the two went out, Feng Yucheng stood up and greeted him, took out a piece of broken silver from his sleeve and put it on the table, and walked behind the two of them, the shopkeeper's voice came from behind: "Guest officer! Guest officer! Waiting for your change!".

When Feng Yucheng arrived outside the door, he saw Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi heading towards the south end of the alley one after the other. The Canal Suqian Wharf is on the south side of the city. It seems that the two did not plan to spend the night in the city, but wanted to While it was still early in the morning, the gates of the city were not closed, and they went out of the city and returned to the boat.

The daytime in summer is very long. Although it is the end of Shenshi, the sky is still bright. The alley where the tavern is located is also sparsely populated. Because the two people in front were laughing and gossiping with each other while walking, the walking speed is not fast, and neither is Feng Yucheng. Slow down, and follow at a distance of more than ten steps behind the two.

The narrow alley was not very long. Seeing that the two people in front turned to the right after leaving the alley, Feng Yucheng was afraid of losing his footing, so he picked up the cloth robe with one hand and stepped forward quickly.

When he rushed to the entrance of the alley and turned right, and was about to move forward, he saw Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi standing on the street a few steps away from him, looking at him coldly.

Startled, Feng Yucheng was about to pretend to be a passerby and leave when Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi clamped him from left to right, like friends fighting each other, and put him into the alley just now.Since it was already dinner time, there were not many pedestrians on the street, no one noticed the situation here at all, not to mention that even if someone saw it, they would think it was three acquaintances playing around.

"You blind thief! You followed me when you saw that the master's wealth was in vain? I have scrapped your claws today! Six sons! Press this guy's hand against the wall!"

As Zhao Laosan said, he took out a short blade with a scabbard from his arms. Xu Liuzi's purse had already been tied around his waist. He pushed Feng Yucheng against the wall, pressing the knees of his two thick legs Feng Yucheng's legs, and then spread Feng Yucheng's arms against the wall with both hands, forming a crucifixion shape.

Although Feng Yucheng was struggling desperately, how could he earn more than Xu Liuzi who worked all year round? According to Zhao Laosan, he was regarded as a thief who stole things. Today I want to teach him a lesson.
Feng Yucheng watched Zhao Laosan pull out the gleaming short blade from the scabbard with his right hand, and stepped forward to cut off his right hand. In a hurry, Feng Yucheng shouted: "I am an official ordered by the court, you two don't want to cut it!" Death! Xu Liuzi, think about your family!"

Hearing Feng Yucheng's shout, the expressions of the two of them changed drastically, Xu Liuzi's strength suddenly relaxed, and Zhao Laosan stopped in the air with his right arm raised with a short blade, with a look of surprise and uncertainty in his eyes.

"A censor ordered by the imperial court! If the official is killed, the Holy Majesty will order the government to seize the entire city! The matter of you and I going in and out of the tavern was quickly detected by the yamen servants. Since the two of you did not cover up your whereabouts, soon You will be questioned by someone! Under the three trees, can the two of you hold on without telling the truth? Murdering an official of the imperial court is a felony to punish the nine clans!"

Feng Yucheng's words completely crushed the psychology of the two of them.

After hearing that Feng Yucheng was an official ordered by the imperial court, Zhao Laosan still thought to himself, since he offended the official, how could Feng Yucheng retaliate if he was released? But it hits the nail on the head.

When he was in the tavern, Zhao Laosan did not pay attention to Feng Yucheng, but when he got drunk and finally lowered his voice to explain to Xu Liuzi, he found that Feng Yucheng was obviously listening sideways. When Feng Yucheng looked at the silver on the table and the recovered copper coins, he immediately concluded that he must have been missed by Feng Yucheng after he talked about the money and revealed it, so he went out of the tavern and hit Xu Liuzi Hello, this is the scene just now.

Xu Liuzi let go of Feng Yucheng and retreated to Zhao Laosan's side, looking down at the ground in fear.Zhao Laosan, who had already put the knife in his arms, looked as usual. He clasped his fists at Feng Yucheng and said, "This Eldest Master, the Caomin two thought that the Master was a thief, so I offended you. I hope the Eldest Master will not blame you! If the Eldest Master Annoyed that the two of us are rude, he beat me hard and waited for a meal to vent his anger, and then we will not owe each other, master, what do you think?!"

Feng Yucheng stretched out his hand to smooth the folds of his robe, and said with a smile, "Those who don't know are not to blame! I am actually such an ignorant person! It was just a misunderstanding!"

"Thank you for your magnanimity, my lord! Let me bid farewell to the grass-roots people!"

Zhao Laosan clasped his fists again and saluted. Xu Liuzi who was beside him was obviously relieved, and he clasped his fists to Feng Yucheng as well, but he didn't dare to make a sound.

"Wait a minute!"

The two were about to turn around and leave when Feng Yucheng called out to them.

Looking at the smile on Feng Yucheng's face, Zhao Laosan was a little puzzled for a while, this rather young official had a kind face, although his eyes were sharp, but there was no malice.

"Your name is Zhao Laosan, and his name is Xu Liuzi, isn't it? If I have not guessed wrongly, you two are Cao Ding, right? Zhao Laosan, I am asking you, and you have to answer truthfully. If this officer is satisfied, I will give you two a future plan!"

Feng Yucheng looked at Zhao Laosan with his hands behind his back and said.

"Future? What's the future? Feel free to ask the elder if you have something to say, and I'll tell you the truth! If you don't have a future, it doesn't matter!"

Zhao Laosan was not moved by the big cake thrown by Feng Yucheng, and still saluted calmly.

How could Feng Yucheng fail to see Zhao Laosan's thoughts, so he reached into his bosom, took out a delicate red sandalwood plaque and held it in his hand: "This official is ordered by the imperial court to patrol the Cao Yushi! Whether you are the Governor of Water Transport or the Cao Army General, if anyone violates the laws and regulations of the court, I can go to the court to impeach him! Zhao Laosan, I want to ask you, as Cao Ding, how much is your monthly salary?"

While Feng Yucheng put the waist badge in his arms, Zhao Laosan also showed fear on his face, and Xu Liuzi fell to his knees directly.

"If you go back to the old man, I can get rice and a stone from the transportation officer every month, but every time it is seven buckets!"

Zhao Laosan still didn't kneel down, but lowered his eyelids so as not to look at Feng Yucheng.

"If I and you, as permanent attendants, receive one tael of silver per month, and every three years thereafter, all the young and old in your family will be servants of this official, and the monthly ratio will be the same as that of other servants, would you two still be willing? "

Feng Yucheng continued to ask unhurriedly.

The Feng family is also a big family in the Jingxiang area. Feng Yucheng's ancestors also had many people who became officials. The family wealth is very rich, and the family business is not small.

Now that he knew their names, he could have let the two go, and then went to the local government to arrest them, but in the tavern, Zhao Laosan's behavior made him quite valued, and he felt that he was very loyal and reliable.It is better to do good deeds than to be evil, and there are indeed a few trustworthy servants around him.

Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi are by his side as regular attendants, and their family members can be sent to their hometown in Xiangyang. It is very simple for the big family to arrange a few people.If the two of them are diligent and reliable, then they will stay by his side in the future; if they are not useful, then they can still be sent to Xiangyang.

In fact, Feng Yucheng had also investigated the situation of the Cao army, knowing the hardships of most of the Cao army and their relatives, and he also briefly mentioned it in the memorial to the emperor.

For people in this era, being able to enter the official's house as a servant with the whole family is a great thing that is both decent and affordable. It is really a good job that is hard to find even with a lantern. Feng Yucheng believes that after offering this condition, These two will never refuse.

"Is the old man telling the truth?"

"There is absolutely no cheating! After the two of you deliver the grain and return, you can go to the Huai'an Mansion to inspect the censor's yamen to find the official, and then sign the paperwork. This official Feng Yucheng is also!"

"The villain Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi have seen Master Feng!"

"Very good! Get up and talk back!"

"Thank you sir!"

"Zhao Laosan, the food grain fleet is heading north from Suqian Wharf in time?"

"Returning to the master, the villain heard from the transport officer that several ships in the fleet are leaking and it will take several days to repair. It is estimated that it will take five or six days to set off!"

"What did you say about Jining Prefecture in the tavern?"

"Returning to the master, the batch of grain we shipped was delivered to the Yongji Warehouse in Jining Prefecture to distribute to the victims of the disaster! Someone played tricks on it!"

　Thanks to the book friend Qingyu for the reward.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)