In the first month, when the yamen was still sealed, this was a rare opportunity for officials to have leisure in a year.

At this time, the self-motivated officials are all rushing to the boss to visit and socialize, while the mediocre officials are just their wives and children hot kang.

This month, except for some aspects, it can basically be understood that the entire Ming Dynasty is in a state of anarchy.

The same is true in the river fort in Yucheng County.

This river fort was built on the dangerous part of the Yellow River embankment, which is very important. The river yamen set up three shops and one fort here, with one fort chief, three shop chiefs, and dozens of servant fort men and shopkeepers, who specially inspected this section of the river embankment of less than ten miles day and night.

Last year, Lin Yanchao rectified the river affairs and arrested dozens of the chief of the fort, the chief of the fort did not do much bad things on weekdays, but he was a little lazy and inactive, so he was lucky to escape.

It was cold outside, and it was snowing heavily.

Therefore, the fort chief did not bother to go out to patrol the embankment, but called the three shop chiefs and asked the Hun family who lived in the fort to cook a pot of mutton and eat wine with them.

Eating lamb in the middle of winter and drinking a little wine is definitely a beautiful thing.

Several shop managers came to the door and decided not to be empty-handed, and carried pig's head and dog legs to the door to add vegetables.

A few people sat on the kang, the warm kang fire was rising below, and a pot of steaming mutton was on top, but the wind was biting cold outside, and the snow was all over the sky.

Everyone laughed and talked about such a day, even if they exchanged a seven-grade official for them, they didn't do it.

While the wine was hot, there was a knock on the door outside the fort.

The Castle Commander scolded, "When is this? Why is there still anyone coming? The snow didn't freeze your ears? ”

The knock on the door was still ringing outside the door, unhurried.

The castle chief scolded, and immediately sent a shopkeeper who was lying in the haystack pinching lice to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, the cold wind swept into the house, and the castle chief was about to scold, but when he glanced out of the door, he immediately jumped off the kang and fell to the ground.

"The villain doesn't know how many adults are coming, and he is far away!"

The door of the fort opened, and several officials entered, followed by a group of black people. The officials stood with their hands down, and the chief of the fort recognized one of them as Gu Zhi County. Now Gu Zhixian, the parent official of a county, is respectfully following an official wearing a five-grade civil official robe.

The five-rank civil official walked to the side of the kang, and everyone in the fort knelt on the ground, and they didn't dare to come out, and several other officials also followed along.

This five-rank official looked very young, he walked to the side of the kang and said with a smile: "What a pot of mutton, it seems that life in the castle is good." ”

Gu Zhixian's face was like fire, and he immediately said to the chief of the fort who was kneeling on the ground: "Have you inspected the river embankment today?" ”

"...... Patrol"

"The hats and clothes outside are all dry, and you dare to say that you patrolled?" Gu Zhixian wrenched his face.

"Yes...... Didn't patrol. ”

Gu Zhixian sneered: "Now that Lingxun is coming, why don't you inspect the river embankment and hide here to eat mutton?" If there is a mistake in the embankment, don't you know if you will lose your head? ”

Bao Chang said: "Back to the old parents, it is the villain's negligence, but this province is not as good as Shanxi, Shaanxi, and the county is not heavy in the past, so the villain is lucky, thinking that it is cold outside, and he can't bear to suffer his brother, so he didn't patrol, and the villain is guilty." ”

"Dare to quibble!" Gu Zhixian raised his face and said, "In the past, it was just that, but now that the silt fields have been built in the embankment, if the upstream is flooded, the downstream will also flood the river, in case the silt fields are washed, how can I explain to the people?" ”

"If the county has three orders, have you all been in the ears?"

"Don't dare! The villain asked the county to be punished. The castle chief shuddered.

Gu Zhixian said to the five-grade official: "Sima, how to deal with this dereliction of duty." ”

The chief of the castle was stunned and said, only to think that this person is so big and so young, it turns out that he is the same person of this mansion, this person even dares to kill the father-in-law from the palace, he is really a ruthless person, I am guilty in his hands, where is my life.

So the castle chief cried bitterly: "Master Sima, spare your life, spare your life, there are eighty parents on the villain, and a three-year-old child under the villain......"

But when he saw the five-grade official, he said: "Twenty lashes!" Not an example! ”

Gu Zhixian said: "Sima is an important member of the government in the first month, brave the heavy snow and come to inspect the embankment, this person is guilty of duty, if he is not punished heavily, how can he be worthy of Sima's rush?" ”

The castle chief's heart suddenly hanged, and his Hun family on the side also cried.

Lin Yanchao said: "Look at this person, he is also an old river worker, and he has worked hard for many years without merit. No matter how to rectify the official system, it is still up to these people to do things after all. So be it! ”

"Thank you, Master Sima, for sparing your life!" The Castle Commander just thanked him.

The two men came over, pulled down the captain's shirt and trousers, picked up the horsewhip and drew it on the spot.

The twenty horses were so whipped that the castle was so bloody that he almost fainted.

Lin Yanchao said: "Not to mention that you are waiting for the imperial court, it is this ten-mile causeway, which is also related to the well-being of the people of a county, you must not be negligent, Lin is here to ask you." ”

After speaking, Lin Yanchao clasped his fists and saluted everyone.

Everyone saw that the castle chief's back was full of blood, and they all said in fear: "The villain obeys orders." ”

Lin Yanchao nodded and said to Gu Zhixian: "Let's go to the next fort!" ”

After speaking, Lin Yanchao put on his hat and left the castle, but saw that there was heavy snow outside, and the cold wind was howling.

A scene of wind and snow!

After Lin Yanchao left, several public servants carried several sacks into the house and said: "Here are all vegetables and fruits and pickled meat, which were given to you by Master Sima for the Tongzhi Bureau, and there are three coins of silver per person to take and collect, let's have a good year!" ”

After the public left, all the fortmen and shopkeepers heard that there were things to be led, and they immediately rushed over to scramble.

One person took out a piece of bacon from the sack and said, "There is really meat!" This time the giver was not greedy. ”

"There is no shortage of three coins of silver."

"Yes, three coins are three coins, since Lin Sima was appointed to manage the river, the brothers' food and silver have not been short. In the past, it was good to be able to give a five-achievement. ”

"Yes, otherwise how can it be said that it is Lin Qingtian?"

"It would be nice if all the officials of the imperial court were like Lin Qingtian."

"Fart!"

While everyone was talking, they were interrupted by the half-beaten castle chief, "Where in this world is there any Qingtian Lord?" Kill the father-in-law in the palace? Hmph, it's not to swallow those hundreds of acres of silt fields. ”

"Give us enough money to do things for him, half of the nearly 1,000 acres of silt fields along the river are his, and of course he is nervous about the flood. What a clean official, a clear fart. ”

Hearing the castle chief's scolding, everyone didn't dare to say it anymore at the moment.

Everyone whispered: "Even if Lin Qingtian is greedy for hundreds of fields, I don't see that he has made the people along the river live a good life." ”

"If Lin Qingtian can do good things for the people, then what if he is greedy for land?"

"That's right, this year and last year, I saw Lin Qingtian come to our embankment to inspect three times, not to mention anything else, this is the New Year, such a heavy snowstorm, we grass-headed people don't want to go out, but he came to inspect the embankment, which official can have him like this?"

"And you see the newly built embankment last year, which is as strong as a hill, and he is not afraid of the Yellow River when it rises again this year."

"That's a good point, the officials have a few dishes and soups every day, we don't care, we ordinary people only look at how many dishes and soups we have on our table."

The snow is still falling heavily in Guide.

Although officials have sedan chairs and carriages for travel, when they go up the river embankment, Lin Yanchao still has to go by himself in some sections.

After inspecting a section of the dangerous embankment, as soon as Lin Yanchao returned to the carriage, he immediately took off his hat, then picked up the hand stove, and then drank a pot of warm ginger soup.

In addition to reading on weekdays, he will also practice the kung fu of health preservation, reading and fitness are all self-cultivation, which is also a matter for Lin Yanchao.

It is right to work for the imperial court and serve the people, but you must also pay attention to proportion, and pay more attention to your body.

Braving the heavy snow to come out to inspect the river embankment, in case of contracting the wind and cold, and then becoming ill from hard work, it is done in history, but this is not too sad for me, and I can't enjoy the fruits of the revolution at all.

So Lin Yanchao is very measured.

After inspecting several more places, Gu Zhixian invited Lin Yanchao to a Zhuangzi near the embankment.

This Zhuangzi was requisitioned, but everything was well arranged.

In the big house, the charcoal stove was lit before Lin Yanchao came, a soft sheepskin blanket was spread on the ground, and wine was still warm in the stove.

After entering the house, everyone immediately dispelled the cold on their bodies.

Lin Yanchao was very satisfied with Gu Zhixian's arrangement, and when he suddenly came to inspect the river embankment, he arranged such a comfortable place for himself, and it seemed that he had done a lot of work.

Gu Zhixian said: "Sima came to our Yucheng County to inspect the river embankment twice this year, and he thought that the next time the adults came, they would have to find a place to shelter from the wind and rain, so they prepared this place in advance, but they didn't expect it to come in handy so soon." ”

Lin Yanchao nodded and said with a smile: "Gu Zhixian is very attentive. ”

Gu Zhixian immediately said: "My lord's words are serious, if it weren't for my lord's simple pull, I wouldn't know where the lower officials are today, compared to the grace of the adult's knowledge, the humble duty is not enough to repay in case." ”

Hearing Gu Zhixian say this, Lin Yanchao couldn't help but sigh, in the officialdom, there will always be such people who have the ability to do things, and who always think about the officials, are promoted the fastest. It's just that many people only see one side from the outside.

Gu Ming is such a person, Lin Yanchao will not go all the way with them. An official like Fu Zhiyuan will not go all the way with him.

So in the end, Lin Yanchao and Gu Zhixian became all the way.

Why did Zhang Juzheng say that reuse the followers and do not need to clear the stream. Of course, the followers are easy to use, and the loyal followers are even more useful.

Lin Yanchao now finally understands Zhang Juzheng's mood at that time.

Lin Yanchao said: "Since you are here, let's handle official business here today!" ”

"Yes!" Gu Zhixian couldn't help but admire when he saw that Lin Yanchao had reached a comfortable place, and he was still thinking about official business. After the Ma Yu case, Lin Yanchao's future is uncertain, and if he changes someone else's future is uncertain, he can't help but be worried, or immediately ask for a relationship and find someone to dredge.

And Lin Yanchao is still working in the office, which is no different from weekdays, and this kind of cultivation is far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Such a person can be used as a role model for his career. Gu Zhixian thought in his heart at this moment.