The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

It wasn't until the first shift that the young men came to invite Su Jin and others to have a meal in the hall of the cottage. At this time, Wang Chao and Ma Han were already hungry and scolded hundreds of words.

Su Jin adjusted his clothes, and brought the two of them to the Juyi Hall with the young men. The hall was brightly lit, and dozens of candlesticks on the walls of the hall were all lit. All the candles were also lit.

Su Jin secretly said: So rich!Although candles are not worth much, ordinary people can only burn oil lamps. Such a luxurious way of burning can use up the food money of ordinary people for three days in one night.

On the big tiger leather chair by the table, Shen Yaozuyin sat at the head with a sullen face, Qiu Dabao Diao Mazi and several other small bosses sat on both sides, all of them looked terrified.

Su Jin knew that Shen Yaozu must have resisted the feint attack of the officers and soldiers at the foot of the mountain, and he might have suffered some small losses, so he was depressed. He was in a bad mood, and the bandits were naturally silent, fearing that something bad would happen.

Su Jin stepped into the hall, clasped his hands and said with a laugh: "Master Shen, why are you so polite? Why don't you just ask someone to deliver some meals? What kind of banquet is there, really kill me."

Everyone in the seat turned their faces to look at each other, all of them were full of anger, staring at Su Jin and others with their eyes.

Wang Chao murmured, "What's wrong with these people? Why are they looking at us like this? Should we kill their people or set fire to their house?"

Su Jin gave him a hasty look, motioned him to shut up, walked to the empty seat at the table and was about to sit down.

Shen Yaozu said coldly: "Who told you to sit down?"

Su Jin was stunned and said, "Do you want me to stand and eat?"

Shen Yaozu said: "Who said that I came to treat you to dinner? Someone, take these three people and tie them to the pillars. After we are full, we will slowly cook them."

The young men standing on the side yelled and gathered around one after another, holding the ropes and wanting to tie up Su Jin and the others. Chao Mahan yelled angrily and tried to make a move. Su Jin shouted loudly: "Hold on, I have something to say."

Shen Yaozu picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it down in one gulp, said with a sneer, "You still have the face to speak."

Su Jin said: "The two armies are fighting without beheading the envoys. I kindly went up the mountain to discuss important matters with you. You are so rude. People say that robbers have their own way. I don't think you people even know how to be bandits."

"Shut up, yellow-mouthed boy, you are eloquent, what did you say to discuss important matters with me, it turns out that you are paralyzing us, and took the opportunity to sneak attack on my pass at the foot of the mountain, what a terrible intention!"

Su Jin said seriously: "I knew you would think so, but you don't think about it. I went up the mountain to risk myself, but ordered someone to sneak attack at the foot of the mountain. Isn't this forcing myself to die? The attack at the foot of the mountain has nothing to do with me The relationship must be that the general who led the army was impatient, so he led his troops to attack on his own initiative. Not only the leader was angry about this, but even I was extremely angry. He has long disliked me, and it seems that he wants to take the opportunity to get rid of me."

Shen Yaozu sneered and said: "With your eloquent tongue, you will never be spared today."

Su Jin looked at Shen Yaozu, sighed and said: "I thought that the head of the family is a hero, but I didn't expect that he is also a short-sighted person."

Shen Yaozu threw the wine glass with his hands, and cursed angrily: "You are still insulting me even when you are about to die. Tonight, aren't your two subordinates scolding enough? Even my dead parents and old relatives at home were scolded so badly." An Sheng, it shows that you are a group of tired and lazy people."

Su Jin cupped his hands and said: "What happened in the evening is that my two brothers are wrong. If the head of the family thinks that he will be killed if he scolds you, I have nothing to say; but I also want to ask you, I will wait for you Shanzhai, not to mention guests, at least messengers, why do you send people to put us under house arrest in a stone room? Everyone is a straightforward person, if you kill with a sword and a gun, I, Su Jin, have nothing to say, but Just playing these tricks taught me to underestimate the master."

Shen Yaozu rolled his eyes and said: "I have good intentions. If you ignorantly wander around in the stronghold and break into the forbidden area, wouldn't it be a disaster to kill you? There are many places in the stronghold that you are not allowed to go. As long as you step into One step, even if there is no order from me, I will be killed on the spot."

Su Jin laughed loudly and said, "In this case, I would like to thank the head of the family for taking care of me? But if it were you, if you went to someone else's house, you wouldn't run around without the owner's permission, let alone the envoy is the court. How can an imperially appointed important official gain a foothold in the court if he doesn't understand the rules?"

Shen Yaozu was speechless, and argued strongly: "In short, I had good intentions, you misunderstood the intention, how can you blame me."

Su Jin didn't want to push him too far, and said with a smile: "That's fine, since that's the case, how about letting this festival be over? I ordered my two brothers to give you an apology."

After finishing speaking, he turned his head and gave a wink, Wang Chao Mahan stepped forward aggrievedly, cupped his hands and said: "I really shouldn't have insulted the head of the family, so I will apologize to you; my lord has already scolded us afterwards, If you really feel that you can’t vent your anger, we will call you a turtle bastard, call your parents a pair of bastards, and you can still call me back.”

Shen Yaozu was so angry that he was going to die, the two of them didn't know if it was true or they were cursing and cursing, but since Su Jin was subdued, it seemed that he was not generous enough, so he frowned and waved his hands and said, "Forget it, you two will accumulate virtue with your mouth from now on. In the world, you can scold anyone who is not pleasing to the eye, but it is absolutely unforgivable to insult the ancestors."

Su Jin clapped his hands and said: "That's right, filial piety is the first word, and the leader of the family is a role model."

Wang Chao and Ma Han nodded in cooperation and said yes again and again, Shen Yaozu's expression turned pale, he looked at Su Jin and said: "Special Envoy Su, I have some questions now and would like to ask Special Envoy Su to explain."

Su Jin smiled and said: "Can you let me sit down and eat something? Even if the head of the family finally wants my head, he still has to give me a full bowl of food?"

Shen Yaozu waved his hand, the people around retreated, stretched out his hand and said: "Please take a seat."

Su Jin thanked Shi Shiran for taking his seat, Wang Chao Ma Han couldn't wait to grab the hooves on the plate and start chewing on them as soon as his butt touched the bench, causing Diao Mazi and others to stare sideways and curse softly.

Su Jin laughed, raised his wine glass and gestured to Shen Yaozu and Qiu Dabao: "For the hospitality of the two masters, Su borrowed flowers to present Buddha, and toasted you a glass as a token of gratitude."

After finishing speaking, he raised his neck, gulped it up, and lit the bottom of the glass to Shen Yaozu; Qiu Dabao held the glass to drink, but seeing Shen Yaozu remained motionless, he had to put down the glass in embarrassment.

Shen Yaozu watched Su Jin take another chopsticks dish into his mouth, and squinted his eyes to praise the taste. After he swallowed the dish, he said coldly: "Special Envoy Su, may I ask?"

Su Jin stretched out his chopsticks to a plate of stewed pheasant, without raising his head, he said, "Of course, you can, but it's okay to ask."

"What is your real purpose for going up the mountain this time?"

"This envoy has already said that he is here to discuss important matters with you."

"What's the big deal? Please tell me clearly."

"This... so many people are here, it's hard to say. How about we talk in private?"

Shen Yaozu thought for a while, waved his hands and told all the young people in the hall to go out, only the people around the table remained, and said: "Now we can talk."

Su Jin looked at the little bosses on the seat, hesitant, Shen Yaozu said: "These are all people from my cottage, but it's okay to say."

Su Jin wiped his mouth and said: "Since that's the case, then I will say that the purpose of my coming up to the mountain is to come to discuss with the cottagers about submitting to the imperial court under the order of the imperial court. In short, I came to recruit you and others." .”

Shen Yaozu was stunned for a moment, an incredible look slowly appeared on his face, then he laughed, looked at the bandit beside him and said: "Recruit? He said he came to recruit me, really laughing to death."

The bandits also laughed, as if Su Jin had told a big joke.

Su Jin paused with his chopsticks, and said solemnly, "What's so funny about the imperial court's affairs?"

Shen Yaozu pointed at Su Jin and laughed again, tears would flow from the laughter, Fang sternly said: "Just you? You came to recruit us? Who are you? It is said that you are just a special envoy for grain affairs. It’s okay for you to urge food and frighten the people. How can you, a food envoy, be able to take on such important matters as recruiting security? Do you treat me like a three-year-old child and let you fool me? Tell me! What is your real purpose? ? Is it a trick to go up the mountain to spy on the situation in my village?"

Diao Mazi and other little bosses slapped the table one by one, pointed at Su Jin and said, "Speak, quickly!"

Su Jin looked at the people in front of him, suddenly burst out laughing, and said, "Why such a big reaction? It's good that I'm the food envoy, but who stipulates that the food envoy can't also take care of the responsibility of recruiting security?"

Shen Yaozu laughed and said: "Still arguing, the recruitment is the responsibility of Zhongshu. You should be under the third division's job in handling the food affairs. What right do you have to take the responsibility for recruiting? You are afraid that we are unreliable heroes who are not responsible for the official position of the court. Don't know anything about it? But man knows all about this."

The bandits shouted: "Yes, yes, our head of the family thinks he was a talented son back then. You want to deceive men who don't understand, but you can't think about it."

Su Jin smiled and said: "It turned out that Shen Da was born as a scholar, and he was disrespectful and disrespectful, but he didn't know if he didn't read good books, why he came to this mountain to become a bandit. I think it's because he didn't read enough sage books, and his name fell outside Sun Shan."

Shen Yaozu's scars were exposed, and he said angrily: "Don't change the subject, what on earth are you here for, if you don't tell the truth, the man will pick your belly, insert a wick and light your sky lantern."