The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Wang Chao and Ma Han lit torches and stepped out of the official road in the mountain and out of the mountain pass.The night wind was even tighter, making the torch in his hand sway, and it was bitingly cold.

The two knew they couldn't travel at night, so they turned off the torches and looked around, hoping to see a place with lights or human voices. This place is not very far from Yangzhou City, and it is impossible that there are no villages.

However, it was dark all around, and there was not a single ray of light to be seen. The peasants were more than frugal, not to mention that it was almost two o'clock, even if it was earlier, as soon as it got dark, the people would all blow their lamps and go to sleep. If you can't get enough to eat, who will waste lamp oil money?

The two were a little disappointed, suddenly there was a rustling sound in front of them, as if someone was coming this way along the official road; Wang Chao quietly pulled Ma Han, and the two slowly pulled the horse to the side of the road , Waiting quietly, I heard someone talking softly in front of me, walking towards this side while talking.

"Brother Li, I'm afraid I'm going to return empty-handed tonight. The weather is so cold, and the yellow wolf and the rabbit are probably unwilling to come out to look for food."

"Yeah, this year's situation is really not going well. The crops are not harvested, and even the small animals in the wild are much less. I still hope to catch some wild animals and sell them for money. There are no new year's goods at home, but I am so worried."

"Hey...! I just hope to get through this famine year. I hope that the weather will be good next year, and we will be able to feed our stomachs and be satisfied to support the whole family."

The two chatted and talked, and slowly approached Chao Mahan's hiding place. Chao Chao suddenly appeared and lit the fire.

Wang Chao hurriedly shouted: "Two elder brothers wait a minute, we are people who travel at night, don't be afraid."

The two turned around suspiciously, and asked with trembling voices: "Are you really human? Are you not a strong man or a lonely ghost?"

Wang Chao said with a smile: "I came from Yangzhou City. I didn't expect this section of the official road to be so difficult. I thought I could find a place to stay before sunset, but I didn't expect it to be dark in the mountains. I fumbled all the way to this point; the two Is the eldest brother from the neighborhood?"

Seeing Chao Chao speaking in a friendly manner, the two dared to approach slowly. One of them gathered some hay and started a fire by the side of the road, and then they saw the true face of Lushan Mountain clearly; It's just that their bodies are in tatters, and each of them carries a big bamboo basket behind his back, a pitchfork with an iron head in his hand, and several bundles of ropes on his shoulders.

The two men also saw Chao Mahan's attire and the two horses clearly, and immediately said in awe: "It turns out that they are two poor men, and the grassroots have offended them."

Zhao Chao invited the two to sit around the fire, and said with a smile: "The two eldest brothers are hunters, no wonder they are still walking outside in the middle of the night, it's hard work."

One of the black and thin men cupped his hands and said, "What the messenger said is, Cao Min Wang Wu, and that one is my brother Li Hu from Tongzhuang. The two of us just do this night hunting for a living; but it's not a special job." This, I just come out to set up traps during the winter slack season to catch some hares, yellow wolves, roe deer, etc., and sell them in restaurants in the city for some rice oil money."

Wang Chao said with a smile: "The two elder brothers know how to live, and it's their duty to support their families."

Li Hu, who was a little fatter, said: "There is no way, sir, who doesn't want to sleep at home in the winter with a hot quilt, but the rice and oil at home are exhausted, there are three or four children to support, and it is the New Year's Eve again." , is also helpless."

Ma Han said: "How is the harvest tonight?"

Wang Wu frowned and said, "Don't mention it, nothing has been found these days, and the traps set up are empty. No, brother Li Hu and I have walked all the way, and the traps set in the fields have found nothing, not even a wild mouse."

Li Hu also said: "This year is a year of famine, and many people died of starvation. I am afraid that wild animals have nothing to eat, and the number is much smaller than in previous years."

Wang Chao tentatively asked, "Have you two been hunting outside since the beginning of winter?"

Li Hu said: "In the past years, we would rest every now and then, because in the past years, the harvest in the fields at home was good, and we could get enough food and clothing if we didn't come out. Conceivable thing."

Wang Chao said: "So that's the case. Since you two come out every night, I would like to ask you one thing."

Li Hu and Wang Wujun said: "The messenger is so polite, what do you want to ask?"

Wang Chao said: "About ten or so days ago, did a large group of horses and horses pass by on this official road?"

Li Hu and Wang Wu looked at each other, shook their heads at the same time and said, "Never seen."

Looking at the eyes of the two, Wang Chao seemed to be a little scared, and his manner of speaking was also somewhat inaccurate, so he said with a smile: "To tell you the truth, I am under the command of Mr. Su, the grain envoy of Yangzhou City. Leaving the city late is because my lord found a clue to smuggle grain. There was a profiteer in the city who hoarded all the grain, hoping to make a fortune by taking advantage of this year's famine; my lord was sent by the imperial court to investigate and deal with these people; You must understand that once these grains are found out, my lord will definitely help the people, just like the family circumstances of the two eldest brothers, the imperial court will surely distribute the grains to tide over the difficulties this winter."

Li Hu and Wang Wu were silent, Wang Wu looked at Li Hu, Li Hu shook his head slightly.

Ma Han saw the clue, the two people must have been lying, and they were about to explode; Wang Chao hurriedly stopped him, and said with a smile: "If you really don't know, it's fine, if you really know, the person who provided the clues will Rewarded."

After finishing speaking, he put his hand into his bosom, took out his purse, weighed it and said: "Here is five pennies of money, which should be used as a reward. If what is said is true, there will be another big reward."

Wang Wu looked at the heavy purse, and was a little moved. Just about to speak, Li Hu hurriedly grabbed his sleeve and tugged: "You two servants, it's not that I don't want to receive the reward, but I really didn't see it. Ah; the Master Su you are talking about is Su Qingtian who opened a warehouse to release food some time ago and wiped out the bandits in Bagong Mountain?"

Wang Chao said: "It is my son."

Li Hu said: "We, the grassroots, have also received Su Qingtian's favor, and we also went to the city to welcome Su Qingtian on the day of the triumphant extermination of the bandits. Since the two of you are Su Qingtian's subordinates, do you know what day it was?"

Wang Chao suddenly realized that these two people didn't know, but they didn't believe that he and Ma Han had met by chance, and they had known each other for less than a cup of tea. Huo, these two people are so cautious, I'm afraid they know more than they imagined, and as ordinary people, there is no reason why they are so vigilant.

"It turns out that the two of you don't believe that the two of us are people close to Mr. Su. It is true that the two of us are private server investigators, and I don't have any documents on me, but I can tell you two about my young master's experience and experience. Look, there must have been many rumors about my young master, but there are certain things you don't know."

"Oh? I would like to hear the details." Li Hu said with great interest.

"Just now you asked when my young master will triumph, even if you answer such a question, how can you prove my young master's identity, because this matter caused a sensation in the world, the whole Yangzhou city, and even Huainan Road knew what happened that day, so I didn't know I said it; that day, Brother Mahan and I rode beside the Young Master, I was wearing gray armor and he was wearing black, so you must have not noticed the two of us."

"This... I really didn't pay attention."

Dynasty Ma Han was hit hard. On that day, the two of them specially dressed up. They were smart and capable, and they were also majestic and majestic while sitting on the horse. Unexpectedly, in the eyes of the common people, there was no impression of the two of them at all; Well, these two guys don't even know how to flatter a lie, so they simply said that they didn't pay attention.

"Well... where do I start? Let me tell you a few things you don't know. My son is from Luzhou, and his family is one of the four richest merchants in Luzhou. He owns a big family business. Our two brothers It was the one who followed the young master; later we followed the young master to study in the Yingtianfu courtyard, and no one in Yingtianfu knew my young master's name, and he was favored by the great grandfather, entrusted a dream to my young master, and later fell in love with the third son. Your Excellency the Minister appreciates it, and the emperor specially summoned my young master and entrusted him with the responsibility of the special envoy of grain affairs, and then he went to Yangzhou to do business."

Li Hu hurriedly said: "During this period, you have been following Su Qingtian?"

Ma Han stared and said, "Why don't you believe it? Tell you, I know the color of my son's underwear, but you two idiots don't believe it. Forget it, let's ask someone else."

Li Hu said: "Don't be annoyed, poor master. Let me ask the last question. What is your young master hanging around his waist?"

Ma Han blinked and said, "On the waist? Nothing but the belt?"

Li Hu's complexion changed, Wang Chao hurriedly said: "He is a fool, he doesn't care about these things, let me tell you, my young master has a jade pendant on his waist all the year round, this jade pendant is called the Great Three Yuan Jade Pendant, um... Let me tell you some secrets, this jade pendant was a gift from a close friend before you went to study in Yingtian Academy, the meaning is to hope that my son will go to high school for three years and become prosperous."

Li Hu said happily: "If that's the case, it seems that the two are indeed Su Qingtian's companions. Su Qingtian has a very high reputation among the people. I didn't notice any big three-yuan jade pendant at first. Mentioned this matter to us when the village head was basking in the sun. Mr. Wu was well-informed. He said that the jade pendant on Su Qingtian’s waist was named Da San Yuan, which was quite expensive. We all know it, it must be true.”

Wang Chao rolled his eyes and said in his heart: "I have said so much, but it is not as effective as a jade pendant. If I knew this earlier, why would I put so much effort into it?"

Once their identities were proved, Li Hu and Wang Wu immediately became more polite, squatting on the side of the road was not a problem, and they immediately invited them to rest in their small courtyard in the village east at the foot of the mountain, so as to wake up the game that their wives had hunted a few days ago. After peeling and boiling a casserole, several people chatted while eating.

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