Yong'anli, Hongtang Township, west to the west gate of the provincial capital, about ten miles away.

Minshui to Hongtang Township diverts out two tributaries of the Wulong River and the Hongjiang River, and from Yong'anli to the county seat, it is the Hongjiang River to be crossed. The Hongjiang River was flooded, and the governor and the town guard built bridges on the river many times, first pontoon bridges, and then stone bridges. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Xianping built a stone bridge in three years, called Hongyi Bridge, and Song Shaoxing built Honger Bridge in seven years. However, the Honger Bridge had been washed away by floods in the 11th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty.

Only the Hongyi Bridge remains, because of the proximity to Hongshan, it is also called Hongshan Bridge. After crossing the Hongshan Bridge, it is the official road, and it is also the end point of the official road into Fujian.

There is a market town next to the bridge, called Hongshan market town, and there are cargo ships from Jianning and Yanping on the port.

At the gate of the tax bureau at the port, the patrol railing with waist knives maintained order, and the vendors in short coats, stretched out countless pairs of hands holding copper coins, lined up to pay taxes, and the archers of the inspection department stood there listlessly with guns, and did not bother to check, only occasionally scolding the unruly people.

After walking through the ferry, passing the ancient temple Xichan Temple, and walking for a while, the west gate of the provincial city gradually became clear.

Next to the official pavilion on the side of the official road, there are five or six sedan chairs parked, and there are mules, driving horses, and the set of cars are far behind, not to mention the officers and soldiers standing, there are hundreds of sedan chair drivers and grooms alone.

Twenty or thirty officials, dressed in new clothes, gathered together with various patterns of complements on their official uniforms, as if they had entered a bird garden.

They waited there with folded hands, stretching their necks from time to time, looking towards the west side of the official road, not knowing which of the great men was waiting for them. Looking at the way the officials yawned one after another, it seemed that they got up earlier than themselves. Lin Yanchao measured a few more glances, and several officers and soldiers blew their beards and glared, and whipped their horsewhips, so frightened that the uncle immediately forcibly twisted Lin Yanchao's head.

The provincial city was rebuilt in the 38th year of Jiajing in order to prevent the Japanese from being rebuilt, re-wrapped bricks, increased the enemy platform, dug the trench, and the city was strange on Wednesday. The most majestic in front of the city gate is still a row of Jinshi archway, which is the marquis and the pride of the city.

Taking advantage of the fact that the sun was not yet scorching, the people hurried into the city, inspected the city gate, and the officers and soldiers checked the pedestrians, so that most of the people who entered the city could only block the city gate.

In Lin Yanchao's eyes, the city wall is getting higher and higher, and the official road is becoming more and more congested, so the three of them can only slow down.

On both sides of the road, there are snake hairpins on her head, and her trousers are bent high on one side and low on the other, holding fish baskets high in both hands, peddling along the street. The vegetable sellers carried their burdens and baskets, and they only wanted to go to the city, so that they could sell for a few dozen dollars more, but they had to count on the tax bureau in advance to make less exploitation.

Teeth of all colors shouted in all tones and shouted business, and behind them knelt rows of yellow-skinned, disheveled men and women, each with straw sticks in their unkempt hair.

The beggar, whose sackcloth was full of fleas, strode past Yazi with a bowl in his hand, and when he met a man dressed in a rich place, he rubbed over and begged, and if he didn't give it, he would dirty their clothes.

The more barren and the people, the more deformed and prosperous the city, the closer to the city gate, the more eyes of people on both sides of the official road, the eaves almost hang down to the eyes, the houses are rows, and the fish and salt are in the market. The shouts of one high and one low have never stopped in my ears, and the vendors on both sides have put their stalls on the shoulder of the road, and only half of the five-zhang wide official road remains.

The prosperity of the provincial capital has refreshed Lin Yanchao's impression of being barren in Fujian, but it is also relieved to think about it.

What kind of place is the provincial capital, the hoarding place of the government office and the yamen.

Guanguan himself can say that the yamen, in this city there are the governor's yamen, the political envoy, the town guard lieutenant, the general military office, the sub-patrol Funing Road, the sub-patrol Wuping Road, according to the procuratorate, all transfer salt envoys, the general military office, in addition to not counting the Shangfutai Yamen, Min County, Houguan County two county yamen. The officials, attachés, errand servants, and relatives in these yamen are estimated to be tens of thousands.

"My lord, it's okay! Let's go into the city, or our family will starve to death!" ”

Thousands of displaced people who had been affected by the flood at the city gate tried to rush into the city to beg for food, but they were beaten by the officers and soldiers.

How many people died of starvation this time when the Min flood flooded? How many people have been displaced? How many floating corpses float down every day in the upper reaches of Minshui?

Seeing this scene, Lin Yanchao couldn't help clenching his fists, but he was pulled by Lin Gao, and said in a low voice: "Don't watch more!" ”

Lin Yanchao woke up with this voice, he was just a child, and he was powerless to change anything, not to mention that he still had a lawsuit to fight right now.

There are seven city gates in the provincial capital, two of the capital where the young son of heaven is stationed, and there is an urn city at the city gate. Raise your head to the tall and dark tower, majestic tower.

After queuing up and searching through the city gate, Lin Yanchao came to the provincial capital. Inside and outside the city, it's another scene. The provincial capital is important, and the government wants to whitewash the peace.

The boat boat on the West Lake in the west of the city, the silk and bamboo are pleasant, revealing the wind of glamour, next to the city gate tower is the longevity palace dedicated to Xu Zhenjun, the incense is prosperous!

The large and small roads in the city are vertical and horizontal, there are thousands of shops and houses, the inland river leads from the Hongtang River, passes through the West Lake in the west of the city, enters the city by the west water next to the west gate, the river in the city is dozens of curves, lingering in the front and back of the dwellings.

Banyan trees and willow trees are planted on both sides of the river. The open boats, which entered through the water gates on both sides of the west gate, rowed directly into the city along the inland river. Under the emerald green banyan tree, the boatlady holding the penny, wearing bright clothes, rowed past in front of her.

Lin Yanchao remembered that in the collection of Xiucai's father, there was a poem describing the prosperity of the provincial capital in the Northern Song Dynasty.

The uncle is idle in Houguan County, and he is also clear in the city. He gestured to Lin Yanchao, who entered the city for the first time: "The road in front of the West Gate that runs through the east and west is called Ximen Street. Walk along Ximen Street to the east, cross the Dingyuan Bridge, this is the way to go to the Yamen of the Political Division, the Yamen of Futai, and the Salt Envoy Division. The Houguan County Ya we are going to is in the south of the city Xianfang, at the foot of Wushi Mountain. ”

"Don't worry, when you arrive at the Houguan Yamen, it will be my territory, and I will cover you when the time comes."

The uncle was not ashamed, and was immediately reprimanded by Lin Gao: "How many pounds and taels you have, I don't know your father." Just a few of your fox friends, how can they help? ”

"Dad, the lesson is the lesson, the lesson is the lesson."

"Don't lead the way."

In a tea house on the front street of the Yaya in Houguan County, a man with sharp legs and feet walked to Xie Zongjia, who was drinking tea on the square table, and said: "The three fathers and sons of the Lin family have entered the city and are coming to the county office." ”

Xie Zongjia put down the tea bowl and asked, "Is it Lin Gao, the eldest of his family, the third?" ”

"The third child didn't come, it's a child."

"I see." Xie Zongjia thought of Lin Yanchao, snorted lightly, and had a little ominous premonition in his heart, so he said to a man with a mustache at the same table: "Master Ge, I am not afraid of the Lin family, just a child who is studying in social studies, I don't know where to read a few court laws, and I actually speak a little doorway, please help me with this lawsuit." ”

The Ge master glanced at Xie Zongjia and said: "What are you afraid of a child, when I Ge was the famous master of the county, he was not yet born, and the fifty taels in the provincial capital are not worthy of me to move my mouth, and the one hundred taels don't want me to move the pen, how many taels of silver is your five acres of dowry land worth together?" ”

Xie Zongjia's face was flushed by these words, he was used to being high in the township, but when he arrived in the provincial capital, he didn't even take him seriously.

However, the other party's authentic Suzhou accent, coupled with the deep background of being a guest in the county, Xie Zongjia only dared to scold in his heart, and still said in a low voice: "Please also ask Master Ge to look at Huang Shuban's face and help me this time." ”

"It's good to know, I'm not selling the face of the Yellow Book, but for the sake of Xu Dian's envoy, I have already written the case to you, and with this lawsuit, you will win seventy percent, and you should respond to the remaining thirty percent." Ge Shishi spoke.

Is that okay? Xie Zongjia scolded in his heart, but he still took out a tael of silver and put it on the table.

A litigant dared to pose in front of Lao Tzu, Xie Zongjia scolded in his heart and turned around to leave.

"Wait! Do you want me to pay you for tea, the countryman has never seen the world! ”

It took half an hour to travel from the west gate to the Guanxian Fang, where the county government is located.

When Lin Yanchao walked to Yaqian Street, there was a plaque at the head of the street, and when he raised his head, there were four glittering golden characters written on it.

As far as Lin Yanchao knows, these four words are in front of the Yafang of Minxian County, which is separated from a square and coexists with the Houguan, and the archway that reads 'Ten Fujian Shouyi' is written against the stage, in order to show that it is not willing to be followed and its determination to compete for the ranking. As for the front of the Yamen of Futai, it is the sign of 'Ba Min Shou County' that is not blown or black.

The county government is close to the county school of Houguan County, sitting in the north and facing south, and the eight-character gate is open to the south, which is in line with the rule that there is no money and no money to enter.

A long street in front of Yamen is Yamen Street. Since ancient times, the scenery in front of Yamen Street is good, which goes without saying.

At present, two months have passed the litigation period, and it is reasonable not to be the peak period of the Yamen lawsuit, but Yaqian Street is still crowded, and the Jingshan Pavilion and Shenming Pavilion next to the county Yamen are crowded with people, so they are all bitter owners and defendants who have come to fight the lawsuit.

If the sour Confucianism sees this scene, it is inevitable to sigh, what is the world is declining, and the people's hearts are not ancient.

Confucius said, "If you hear lawsuits, I Jews will also make you unlitigated." Confucianism believes that the absence of lawsuits is the ideal state of society, and the fewer lawsuits, the more it shows that the people are simple and easy to govern. Officials who govern local areas are also easy to be evaluated by their personal administration.

On the contrary, if there are many lawsuits in the local area, it is considered that the local people's customs are weak, in other words, there are too many people.

From this point of view, Fujian is not a place where officials like to stay. In the local chronicles, there are many poor people, and they like to litigate and live lightly; His vulgar and thrifty, happy lawsuits and good witches abound.

Today is the day of the yamen's announcement, the magistrate sits in the hall, and the notice board is released, and the people flock to the card.

A sufferer grabbed the defendant's collar and scolded: "It is natural to repay the debt, if you don't pay it back today, you will be put in prison." ”

There were still people pushing and shoving, and a woman cried and said: "Xianggong, you believe me, Zhang Xianggong and I are innocent." ”

"Slut, dare to quibble. Know what it means to catch rape in bed! ”

Lin Yanchao was about to listen, but he blocked his ears for the uncle, and said on the side: "Don't dirty your ears, children." ”

This uncle, Lin Yanchao was speechless for a moment.

Lin Yanchao was just eye-opening, but at this time, he heard someone sneering on the side.

Xie Zongjia stood with his hands in his hands, while the third child of the Xie family followed.