Yangzhou prefect Jiang Ping to Xu Jin prepared a temporary residence in the west of the city, although the area is not as good as Xu Jin's mansion in Beijing, but it is almost the same, the key is that this is a very Jiangnan characteristics of the garden-style house, pavilions, rockeries, flowing water, pond fish, all kinds of precious flowers and trees dotted in the meantime, the style is fresh and delicate, living in it is undoubtedly a kind of enjoyment.

Because the mansion was large enough, the brothers of the 500 battalions were also stained and all stationed in, Xu Jin occupied the backyard, and Xia Yan, the deputy envoy of the Qin Mission, chose a side courtyard to live in.

Xu Jin settled down in the backyard, and was busy cleaning and arranging the room in early spring and early summer, in fact, the house was taken care of, and it had already been cleaned up, even the beds and bedding were new, but the two maids still cleaned it again very seriously, and then placed all kinds of supplies according to the master's living habits.

Xu Jin finished bathing and freshening up under the service of the two twins, rested for a while, and left for a reception banquet held by the local gentry at about 5 p.m.

Before going out, Xu Jin sent someone to the side courtyard to ask Xia Yan to go with him, but the latter bluntly refused, and replied: The water of the waves is clear, and you can wet my hair; The water of the waves is turbid, and you can wet my feet.

This sentence comes from the "Song of Ruzi" in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, which roughly means: A gentleman is in the world, and when he is in trouble, he is hidden. It can also be used as a solution of "lotus out of the mud and not stained".

Obviously, Xia Yan is showing his attitude to Xu Jin: he Xia Yan is a noble gentleman, and this time he went to Jiangnan to clean up the land for the benefit of the people, and will never accept the benefits of the local gentry, never join the stream, and never bend the law for personal gain.

Xu Jin smiled indifferently after hearing this, and did not force Xia Yan, and went to the banquet alone with the two brothers-in-law.

It is said that the reason why Xu Jin chose Xia Yan as the deputy envoy of the Qincha was precisely because he was honest and talented. However, upright people have a common problem, that is, they are not good at interpersonal communication, and they are easy to stiffen the relationship, too upright will become upright, and if they are too rigid, they will be easy to break, and in the end, they will not be good, and Xia Yan in history did end up very miserably, he was robbed and killed, and his wife was separated.

Therefore, it is better for Xia Yan not to participate in this reception banquet, Xu Jin only needs a capable and practical partner, and he can handle it single-handedly in terms of interpersonal communication.

Xu Jin doesn't have the spiritual cleanliness of a gentleman, he has been up and down in the business world in his previous life, and he has done a lot of things on the spot, as long as he doesn't break the bottom line, the means are not important, the important thing is to achieve the goal. Sun Tzu's Art of War has a cloud: know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles. If you want to know yourself and your opponent, you naturally have to contact each other, or even mingle with each other.

Xu Jin stopped by the bridge to stare at the flower boat before, in addition to curiosity, he also had the intention of deliberately paralyzing the gentry, after all, a weak Qincha is always easier to deal with than an iron-faced and selfless Qincha.

This reception banquet was held in the mansion, not too far from Xu Jin's residence, Xu Jin went out with Xie Erjian and Xie Sangun on foot, while leisurely enjoying the scenery along the Surabaya River, twenty brocade guards followed behind him from afar.

Just as Xu Jin and the three of them were walking on the granite-paved street, they met a group of people. There were six people in this group, dressed in ordinary people's coats (sleeveless), showing strong and powerful arms, not tall, but very sturdy. The man at the head was about twenty-five or sixteen years old, and he obviously hesitated for a moment before taking the lead and flashing to the side of the road.

Xu Jin had a strange feeling in his heart, he always felt that something was wrong with the group of people in front of him, but he couldn't think of anything wrong for a while.

When the two sides passed by, Xie Erjian and the other party's young man's eyes touched, and the ten fingers of his hands were slightly hooked in an instant, and Xie Sangun's kid was even tighter, and his cunning eyes showed a look of vigilance.

The young man on the other side glanced at the Xie family brothers, and obviously accelerated his pace, and the five people who followed behind him seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, and at the same time accelerated their pace, their legs seemed to be equipped with springs, as if they could jump up at any time.

The two sides staggered more than ten meters, Xie Sangun touched Xie Erjian lightly with his shoulder, and pouted backwards: "Second brother, that guy is not simple!" ”

Xie Erjian nodded and said, "Well, it's a master!" ”

Xu Jin couldn't help but be a little surprised, you must know that the second brother-in-law has always regarded himself very highly, and there are few opponents in his martial arts, except for last year, when he suffered a little loss in the hands of Zhao Quan of the White Lotus Sect, he has never lost, and now he actually said with a solemn expression that the other party is a master? couldn't help but wonder: "Second brother, how do you know that the other party is a master?" ”

Xie Erjian returned to a lazy state, shrugged his shoulders and said: "Brother-in-law, it's not the second brother I'm bragging, the real master can judge the other party's catties and taels just by his breath, and the guy's breath just now is not below me." ”

Xie Sangun pierced very shamelessly: "I'm afraid it's going to be stronger!"

Xie Erjian rarely had a slight embarrassment on his face, but he said confidently: "So what, if I fight alone, I may not lose the second brother." ”

Xie Sangun pouted and said, "I guess I can't take advantage of it." ”

"Fourth, this will not be supported by your father, and then raise the bar, believe it or not, the second brother will clean you up with one hand." Xie Erjian said very unhappily.

Xie Sangun patted the double-barreled flintlock short gun on his waist, and said with a smile: "Master really doesn't believe it." ”

"Your uncle!" Xie Ergun couldn't help but burst into a rude sentence, arguing with the cunning and shameless old four, he had never taken advantage.

Xu Jin couldn't help but smile, the world's martial arts, only fast and not broken, no matter how high your martial arts are, what is the use in front of firearms.

At this time, the three of them had already walked to the front of the government office, and the officials and gentry who received the news immediately went out to greet them.

"Hey, Lord Xu, why don't you see Lord Xia?" Yangzhou Governor Jiang Ping looked behind Xu Jin, but did not see Xia Yan, the deputy envoy of the Qincha, and couldn't help but ask.

Xu Jin said with a calm expression: "Lord Xia has traveled a long way, and he is slightly unwell, so he has already rested, so he did not go to the banquet, and let this official express his gratitude to all colleagues on his behalf." ”

Jiang Ping frowned imperceptibly, and said, "I see, then the official has to pay a visit, Lord Xu, please inside, the banquet has been prepared." ”

Xu Jin entered the government office surrounded by a group of officials and gentry, and sat down as the chief, Yangzhou prefect Jiang Ping, Yan Yun made Shi Haoran and others sit at the same seat, and six other seats were placed.

After a polite remark, Yangzhou prefect Jiang Yun applauded three times with a warm expression, the sound of silk and bamboo sounded, and the fragrant wind blew on the face in an instant, and a team of outstanding dancers came out from behind the screen, wearing a looming light yarn and dancing in the field, twisting the jade spring bay, making various sultry postures.