Nongmen Space: I pampered the first assistant villain

Chapter 278 Shipwreck?

the next morning

"The magistrate of Dongchang Prefecture?"

Xia Xiaoqiao looked at the post that the boy had handed over just as the boat stopped at the pier, and asked in wonder, "You know him?"

"I don't know."

Lu Jingyuan picked up the tea bowl and took a sip from his mouth.

"Then why did he invite you into the mansion? Isn't this also a tradition?"

There were also many invitations along the way, but they had a large group and didn't want to waste time, so they rejected all they could.

But along the way, there are also some small officials, gentry and wealthy households, or some old acquaintances who sent greeting cards.

Like those country gentry and wealthy households, or small officials they don’t know, they avoid them as much as they can. Occasionally, they chat with some old acquaintances for a while, but most of them are for a meal.

But this prefect of Dongchang is different.

This is to invite their whole family to the house as guests.

"Yes and no."

Lu Jingyuan put down the tea bowl and said with a smile, "It should be aimed at Brother Luo."

"Luo Wenjing?"

"Yes, his father is also the magistrate of Lingzhou Prefecture, and he has been praised by the emperor for his contribution to disaster relief. When the Ministry of Officials selects officials this year, he is afraid that he will be promoted. It is very likely that he will be a Beijing official."

"Oh, I see."

Xia Xiaoqiao understood, no wonder so many people came to curry favor along the road, it turned out that the prefect Luo was going to be promoted, and these people came to hug her thigh.

Of course, it's not necessarily all for the sake of hugging thighs, but it is extremely necessary to have a good relationship with colleagues, let alone a Beijing official?
This Beijing official is a close minister of the emperor, and he is far worse than a local official.

but--

Wouldn't it be a waste of money to go shopping in the city as promised?

Although that person posted a post for their family, there are two little babies at home, and Chunying is sick again, she can go out for a walk, she will be back soon, but going out as a guest is of course impossible.

Lu Jingyuan was also very sorry, but Xia Xiaoqiao didn't care.

After sending people away, she went shopping by herself.

For the convenience of traveling, Xia Xiaoqiao and Nan Shuang both changed into men's clothes.

It's rare to come to Dongchang Mansion once, and I heard that the Langhao here is very famous, so I bought some. Not only can I use it for Lu Jingyuan when I go back, but I can also give others as gifts.

In addition, there are crisp dates from Dongchangfu, smoked chicken and rice wine.

Xia Xiaoqiao naturally didn't let it go.

"By the way, I heard that Guangyue Building in Dongchang Mansion is one of the top ten famous buildings. Let's go and have a look today."

The two returned with a full load, and asked Chang Qi to send the things they bought back to the boat, and the two planned to go to Guangyue Tower.

As soon as he turned the corner, Xia Xiaoqiao stopped immediately.

"Miss, what's the matter?"

"do not move."

Xia Xiaoqiao looked into the distance, frowning slightly.

But Nan Shuang asked in surprise: "Isn't that the army transporter on the tank boat? Why is he here?"

Yes!

How could a transported army appear in Guangyue Tower?

The guests here are generally literati, very elegant, and most of the people who come here are scholars.

"Let's go and see—"

And under the circumstances that Xia Xiaoqiao did it on purpose, she happened to sit next to the other party's private room.

However, those two people talked very quietly, and the other person left after a while, Xia Xiaoqiao glanced through the crack of the door, but unfortunately only saw a back, but when that person left, Wang Beard had no scruples .

The younger brother poured him a glass of wine.

"Boss, if this batch of goods is sold, we can make a lot of money, not only can make up for the deficit, maybe I can even marry a wife."

Snapped--

A chopstick rested on the other person's head, "No Promise——"

After scolding, he smiled again and said: "But you are honest, it's winter now, marry a daughter-in-law to celebrate the new year, after this trip, we should have gone back, hey——"

"Boss, didn't we make money this trip? Why are you still sighing?"

"What do you know?"

The bearded Wang gave him a hard look, "What are we doing? The grain boats are transporting grain, but where is the grain now?"

"Didn't that son say that it's ready for us?"

"What do you believe in what he says?"

Wang Dahuzi said angrily: "This group of people don't have any good things. I don't know what the hell this batch of grain is. I planned for the worst. If it doesn't work, let's sink the ship and let's go." Like Brother Zhang—"

"Ah? Head, the brother Zhang you mentioned, is he the one who sent relief food to the Lingzhou government this year? Could it be that his boat sank by himself?"

"Shhh, walls have ears, please keep your voice down."

The little brother immediately covered his mouth, and then whispered: "Boss, then you let our boat hit those students' boats, are you thinking—"

"Yes, that's right, but whoever imagined it, unexpectedly encountered a powerful one."

The bearded Wang drank another bowl of wine angrily, "Sure enough, scholars don't have a good thing—"

Xia Xiaoqiao didn't really hear what the two said to each other.

But it caught a very important clue.

At the beginning, there was a flood in Lingzhou Prefecture, and there were victims everywhere, and the food and grass in the government office were only enough to last for more than a month.

But the disaster relief food from the court has been delayed.

Later, I heard that the grain boat sank, although it was a coincidence, but everyone didn't think much about it. The sinking of water transportation happened from time to time, and she regretted it for a while, but she never expected that there was something hidden in it.

Lighting time
"Aren't you back yet?"

Xia Xiaoqiao was coaxing Yunfan and Yunye.

"No."

Nan Shuang answered truthfully, Xia Xiaoqiao glanced at the gate again, "The magistrate treats guests, I guess I'm going to be back very late today, let's eat first."

For entertainment, I'm afraid I won't be able to come back until midnight.

Xia Xiaoqiao didn't pay much attention to this.

After dinner and putting the two little ones to sleep, she sat alone in front of the desk and read a book.

She dozed off waiting to see, and suddenly felt that there was an extra cloak on her body, and then a faint smell of alcohol hit her, Xia Xiaoqiao suddenly opened her eyes, and sure enough, she saw someone squatting beside her.

"you're back?"

Xia Xiaoqiao was very happy, looked at him and said, "But did you drink too much?"

"It's okay."

Lu Jingyuan was still terrified in simple words, but his eyes were full of tenderness, "It's so late, why don't you go to bed, and be careful of catching a cold here."

"It's okay, am I waiting for you?"

After talking with a smile, he shouted to the outside: "Nan Shuang, hurry up and bring the hangover soup."

After speaking, he took his hand, "It's autumn, and the night is cold, look at your hands are frozen like this."

Lu Jingyuan's eyes were full of tenderness, and he stroked the broken hair on her forehead, "It's okay."

The two looked at each other, the candlelight was flickering, and the friendship overflowed unconsciously.

"Ajo?"

Lu Jingyuan's voice couldn't help being a little more lingering, and Xia Xiaoqiao was pretentious, so she couldn't care less about it, so she pulled him to her side and said, "You are back, I have something serious to do with you." You said, today I saw that bearded king on that tank boat, he was really dishonest, the boat was not loaded with grain at all."

"He seems to be doing some business with someone. He is mysterious. Unfortunately, I didn't see the person's appearance clearly. Last time I heard you say that this tank can only transport grain. They are reselling it openly. Isn't it smuggling?"

In Xia Xiaoqiao's eyes, smuggling was a crime.

"smuggling?"

Lu Jingyuan nodded, "That's not bad."

"you know?"

Xia Xiaoqiao looked at him, "The people on the water transport are also from various guards, and they are all military households. How can the soldiers of the official family do such a thing?"

In a country, officers and soldiers are like this, so is it still far from subjugation?
After hearing this, Lu Jingyuan took her hand and said, "I know all these things in my heart, the pain of transporting water, exploitation everywhere, survival from death, vicious circle—"

In the final analysis, it was caused by corrupt officials, and the court did nothing.

After Xia Xiaoqiao listened, she was silent for a moment and then said: "So, is it the same for the tank boats that deliver disaster relief food to the Lingzhou government?"

"How did you remember this?"

"Because, I heard the bearded man Wang talk about this today. He said that he knew a man named Zhang, who was the water transport officer who delivered the disaster relief food. He said that he deliberately sank the ship."

Lu Jingyuan was surprised after hearing this, "This matter is no small matter, don't tell others."

"Oh, I know--"

This is a serious crime of beheading, Xia Xiaoqiao naturally knows the seriousness, but there are so many victims, if not for the prefect Luo who is a good official who is kind and dedicated to the people, the Lingzhou government at this moment would not know what it would be like.

Famines will lead to civil uprisings, people will die and there will be plagues. Under the vicious circle, how can there be any eggs?

That's disaster relief food, and someone actually withheld it?
Deserves to kill--

When the two were discussing this matter, they never expected someone to shout outside.

"It's water, it's water—"

Everyone was shocked, the boat was flooded?
Isn't that killing people?
(End of this chapter)