The fox minister in the late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 35
Feihu County, a long street lined with banners and banners, with shops with cornices and brackets connected by cornices. The spacious street vendors occupy the street edge and yell and sell loudly. In the bustling streets, women with a piece of silk bargaining with the shopkeepers; Zhuang wiped the sweat off his face, nodded courteously to his boss, turned around, gritted his teeth, and staggered away with the heavy cargo on the ground off his shoulders.

There are also peddlers walking the streets and alleys, staggering past with their loads on their shoulders, the sound of hawking and the noise around them turn into the bustle of this long street.

"Wooden combs, mahogany combs, and serious portraits, which are not eye-catching. There are also a few yellowed ancient books here."

"Cooking cake. Freshly baked cooking cake, my wife made it herself. It looks good and is crispy in the mouth!"

On the noisy and bustling street, someone sweating profusely squeezed past the pedestrians in front, wiped the sweat stains on his face, and yelled: "Get out of the way, get out of the way." He went to the restaurant in front of which the banner was flying.

On the stairs extending from the entrance, the scenery on the second floor is particularly beautiful. The literati speak softly, and there are also wealthy businessmen and gentry in luxurious clothes drinking freely, talking about some business, gossip about brothel girls, and occasionally talking about the city. happened.

"Yesterday was a bit strange. Many big families in the city went to the county government office. As far as I saw with my own eyes, there was the Zhang family in the southeast, that is, the big owner's family with seven or eight Wenshu Baozhai in the city. Others, including Li, Wang and Cai are big families."

"Did something happen?"

The soft-spoken words attracted the attention of nearby drinkers and diners, and they gradually quieted down to listen to the next words. At a table not far away, three men and a woman were drinking wine and tea, stopped their voices, and turned slightly He turned to look at the table where he spoke just now.

Seeing many people looking over, the person who spoke before the table clasped his hands in a circle.

"I don't know if there are any of the family members I mentioned below. I just said it casually just now, so don't take it seriously."

"I'm afraid you dare not say it, let me come, anyway, I will leave the city in two days."

A man at the next table, wearing silk and a jade ring on his finger, dressed as a businessman, put down his drink, glanced at the surrounding guests, and slapped the table.

"Recently, you probably have heard about the discovery of iron ore at Niujiaji. The result came out yesterday. This time, Liu Mang fell into a big somersault. I don't know if he can turn it around in the future."

On the side, a drinker aroused his interest, quickly took his own wine, went over to fill it up and handed it over to the other party, "Red and white, the whole city knows about that now, so how did Liu Man get it?"

The man who served the drink took it with a smile and took a sip. Thinking about it, he was in a good mood. He put the bottom of the bowl on the table, and continued, "This morning, I and the Li family in the city Some business transactions, I heard quietly, it turned out that the county government that the iron ore gave to the county government on the surface, in fact, someone had other plans, and it was only yesterday that the real purpose was revealed."

When the atmosphere became aroused, someone hurriedly urged: "You should hurry up!"

"Hehe." The man was not in a hurry, and took another gulp of the drink, "The iron ore is just a cover on the surface, but guess what, good guy, they used the method of digging iron ore to build roads. To run through Liu Mang's ancestral house, it is the big house behind Niujiaji."

As soon as this was said, some people naturally did not believe it.

"The land is so big, there is no way to build roads, then Liu Mang is not stupid, how can he obediently let others say what he wants."

"Hey, that's bringing the conversation back to what the man didn't dare to say just now." Seeing someone rebuttal, the man stood up with a smile, made gestures, his expression became serious, and he looked around. guests.

"That's why several big households in the city mobilized together. Think about it, such a fat sheep has stepped into the trap at this time. If you don't do anything to eat it at this time, do you still wait for it to break free? Run far away? Then Liu Mang has swallowed up a lot of fertile land in Niujiaji in the past two years. If you were you, seeing such a good opportunity, wouldn’t you be a little bit moved? With such efforts from several companies, I think Liu Mang is mysterious Hey."

On the second floor, there was a sigh of relief.

The reason why everyone pushes the wall down is that everyone here is an adult and no one understands. Wealthy and wealthy families usually meet with smiles on their faces, but it is not uncommon for them to be stabbed in the back.

At this time, the literary guest at the table leaning on the guardrail reacted and slapped the table, "It's a good plan!"

Around, everyone asked him what he was planning, "What did you think of?"

"Don't imitate the guy just now, tell me quickly, I'm so anxious!" "What's the plan, isn't it road construction?"

The literary guest seemed to be still immersed in the plan, closed his eyes and inhaled the aroma of the wine in the cup intoxicatedly, after a long time, he took a sip and put it down, stroked his beard and nodded to look at the crowd.

"Actually, the road construction was nothing more than a reason. The real killer move was the mobilization of the few big families mentioned by Xiongtai just now. This person clearly used the iron ore and road construction to release it through the mouth of the county magistrate and county lieutenant. , in fact, to lure the pack of wolves to smell the fishy smell. This move is clever and insidious!"

After saying this, the guests on the second floor realized that if they were in Liu Mang's position, they would instantly get goosebumps. This trick is really deep enough, probably only those high-ranking officials in the temple Only then can we see clearly.

"Let's not make random guesses. A few big households are dispatched, and they may not necessarily persuade the county officials and county captains. Let's see the results."

However, as soon as the words fell, the sound of footsteps from the other side of the stairs spread, and the sweaty man who was running on the street before took the wine bowl from the nearby table and poured it into his mouth for a long time , he comfortably wiped the wine stains hanging from his beard around his mouth.

"The result came out. The county lord and Gao Xianwei approved the document to let Liu Mang move out of Niujiaji to make way for the iron mine!"

Although most of the guests on the second floor had already guessed the possibility, they couldn't help but exclaimed when they heard the result, and the man who heard the news found an empty table and sat down.

"I was inquiring in the county yamen at that time, and I saw Liu Mang coming out of the yamen, with a disfigured face and a frightening green face. Later, I asked the yamen servant I knew well there, and this matter had to start with Geng Qing, It is the 'reincarnated crouching dragon' who cheated Liu Mang of a large sum of money last time and made him vomit blood in anger!"

buzzing.
There was a lot of whispering and whispering, three men and one woman sat at the corner table, looked away, picked up the bowls and chopsticks, and started to eat and drink again.

There were also whispers between several people.

"My girl is really accurate at seeing people, but Uncle Eighth and Uncle Lin still don't believe it!"

Holding a bowl and chopsticks, Tang Baoer picked up a vegetable and put it into the bowl of a middle-aged man who looked similar to Chen Shuba with a smile. "Uncle Jiu, that man's stomach is full of water, so he must not suffer. How is it now?"

Chen Shuba was convinced. After a series of schemes, even if he saw the matter in his eyes, he was still shot by the other party under his nose.

Taking a sip of his drink, he looked at Tang Baoer who was giggling, "Then what do you want, and you still want to ask him for help?"

"Liu Bei invited Mr. Wolong three times, so how can I go once?"

Lin Laien snorted and put down his chopsticks.

"That person acted insidiously. He dared to come, but I didn't dare to join him. If he betrayed me to claim credit, I'm afraid that all of us would applaud each other. I think it's better not to go."

Chen Shujiu, who was beside the woman, knew more or less about Tang Baoer's search for the other party before, and nodded in agreement, "Your Uncle Lin is right, this person is very scheming, look at the whole thing, the county magistrate and county lieutenant got it Merit, several big households also got fertile land, everyone got the benefits, so Geng Qing got it? Definitely more than you imagined, why should he help you? Chivalry? He is not from the world, maybe he is already He's a figure in the Gongmen."

Seeing that Tang Bao'er was scolded and silent, Chen Shuba made a relief, comforted her, and pointed to the outside of the guardrail with his chopsticks.

"Everything is so simple, otherwise we will end up with that Liu Mang."

Outside the hustle and bustle of the second floor, on another adjacent long street, several bullock carts surrounded by guards slowly passed the street entrance and went towards the city gate. On the carts, a fat figure sat on it, his face ashen ashes , staring blankly at the front, and it was difficult for him to take a look at the lively and bustling street scene in the past.

"A group of thieves who eat people without spitting out their bones!"

Liu Mang clenched his fist, and suddenly smashed it on the back of the truck. Early this morning, before dawn, he rushed to the city and prepared almost half of the money in the warehouse, more than 300 taels, and various calligraphy and paintings , porcelain, and silk, as soon as they entered the city, they went to the mansions of several gentry and big families, and sent out all the things, hoping that they would stop at this time, even if they hesitated for a few days, as long as they left room for him to deal with it. room for.

All the things were confiscated, and when they arrived at the county government, they also met with the county magistrate, but in the end, no one was willing to give up, and even when he came out of the court, the four big families sent people to discuss the purchase of land with him. At the beginning, he got it from those farmers at a low price, but this time it became him.

"These thieves!"

"A pack of wolves, sooner or later you will be like me!!!"

After leaving the city gate, Liu Mang stood up from the cart and yelled at the city gate that was gradually moving away, but it was useless after all, like a person who had been stripped of his clothes, leaving naked and without dignity.

On the way thereafter, he stopped cursing, bypassed the town of Niujiaji, and went back from the small road. The entire Liu family mansion was lifeless. Hearing Liu Mang's words about moving, the wife at home cried and beat her chest and feet, and the two sons stood still. At the gate of the courtyard, shouting and cursing like thunder, the servants and maidservants at home looked sad, obviously understanding that the master's family was leaving here, and they would also leave their hometown with them.

A group of thugs from the nursing home had weird faces. Soon, there was a sound of shouting and fighting in the house. Those who did not want to follow the people who left, robbed the house of valuables and rushed to the door. Some people wanted to report to the police. Liu Mang waved his hand, Looking at the acres of fields outside, it was his hard work for most of his life, and a few utensils were nothing.

"Let them go."

He asked someone to lift a chair, sat there, looked at the green shoots emerging from the ground, and suddenly slapped himself hard, and when he got home, the yamen servant had already come to put up a note.

Seeing the two sons arguing with the yamen servant, even making a move, and being knocked to the ground again, they remained indifferent and said calmly, "It's time to go."

The sun slanted down on the clouds, and the dim yellow sky was shining from the west. Seven or eight donkey carts and ox carts were filled with sealed boxes, acres of fields, stored grain in warehouses, utensils that could not be taken away, and houses. Wait, the settlement money is stored inside.

Liu Mang's face was dull and indifferent, he took a last look at the door locked by the yamen servant, pasted the note, closed his eyes, and was helped by the maid to get into a carriage and followed the slow-moving convoy ahead , heading east to Yanmen.

The sky was getting dark and sinking, and the sky full of stars showed its outline.

Looking around at the dark barren mountains in the distance, the mountains are like evil beasts crouching in the shadows, gloomy and terrifying.

In the last ray of sunlight, the old crow stood on the dead crooked neck tree, watching the passing convoy below make ominous neighing.

Wow--

Wow--

As if feeling something, the black crow flapped its wings and flew away, and there were rustling movements from the grass and branches on the steep slopes of the nearby forests.

Dozens of figures slowly came out, looking from afar at the passing convoy below, the leader was tall and burly, with a black scarf covering his face, his exposed eyes had a fierce light, and he looked slightly sideways to the left and right The subordinates lined up.

His voice was hoarse and deep.

"Don't stay alive!"

Dozens of figures grabbed the handle of the knife and pulled it out at the same time, then rushed down.

"Who are you?!"

When Liu Mang's screams sounded from the convoy below, the blade of the knife was passed to his neck, and a bloody streak was pulled out. The killing spread immediately, and the whole mountain was filled with wailing.

　It's too late, so I will finish the plot in one chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)