In the chief's hall in the cane sugar promotion department, Xu Ping was sitting precariously with a grim face. Han Zong was on the side, just as serious.

At the door stood Tan Hu, fully dressed in military uniform, with a knife on his waist. Outside the door were eight sergeants, armed with short guns, standing in two rows.

In the guest seat, it was the chief officials of several nearby states, and when they saw this battle, they were all a little frightened, and they didn't dare to sit on the seat, and they sat on the empty seat with half of their buttocks. There was only one Huang Tianbiao, who sat there with a golden knife, looking left and right, without the slightest nervousness, and this humble man did not feel the tension in the hall at all.

"Are you all together?" Xu Ping's voice was flat and did not carry any emotional color.

A man about thirty years old hurriedly stood up and saluted Xu Parallel: "Your lordship, my father is occasionally caught in the cold and can't get out of bed, so I come here on behalf of my father." Forgive your sins! ”

Huang Tianbiao heard this, and couldn't help but say: "The day before yesterday, I was still eating wine with Lord Shen, why did I get sick all of a sudden?" He's old, and his body bones can't help but toss! ”

Han Zong snorted lightly: "If you are not asked by the officials, you must not make noise!" ”

Huang Tianbiao was a little unconvinced when he heard this, this Han Zong and himself usually call themselves brothers, why did he use a chicken feather as an arrow today and not give himself face.

Turning his head to reason with Han Zong, he was facing Xu Ping's gaze, cold as a knife, and he shrank his head in fright, and he didn't dare to say a word.

He has known this Shangguan for a long time, and he understands better than anyone else that when Xu Ping comes out with this expression, that is, he has the heart to kill. Huang Tianbiao is muddy, but he is not a fool, how could he touch this kind of mold.

Seeing that Huang Tianbiao stopped talking, Xu Ping turned his head to look at Shen Chengrong's eldest son Shen Anlu, looked at him for a while, and nodded: "You have taken care of Shen Cheng's affairs over the years, and you can be the master, sit down." ”

Shen Anlu let out a sigh of relief, hurriedly thanked him, and sat down on his seat.

Only then did Han Zong say to Xu Ping: "Your Excellency, everyone has arrived." ”

Xu Ping himself has long eyes, and it is naturally clear which one came and which one did not, but today is not more than usual, and he is just deliberately creating a little tense atmosphere. Since some of these people don't want to live a peaceful life, there is no need to use those appeasement methods in the past, let them feel it first.

After glancing at everyone, Xu Ping said: "The night before yesterday, there were thieves who robbed the gunpowder for building a road in Jinguangding, and then escaped from the boat on the other side of the river. On the other side of the river, the Lifting Division and Taipingzhai have never interfered, and have entrusted you to jointly manage and take turns on duty. This is the court's trust in you, and it is also the grace given to you, you should be loyal and cautious, but you have caused such a big incident. ”

Xu Ping's voice was not high, but his tone was smooth and emotionless, which still made the hearts of those present chill.

"Who was on duty the night before yesterday?!"

Xu Ping's voice suddenly raised a level, and his gaze became cold.

"Yes, it's the lower official—"

Jiangzhou Wei Zhizhou stood up, his calves trembling slightly.

Jiangzhou is the closest Tuzhou to Taipingzhai, and except for the small plain near the Zhizhou station, the people in other places have long been out of control. But it is precisely because of its proximity that Jiangzhou is also a place to make a fortune by relying on Taipingzhai.

Wei Zhizhou was about to cry, and said to Xu Ping: "Shangguan, the next night before yesterday, Xia Guan was in the yamen on the other side of the river and didn't go away, but Wei Shi didn't hear any movement, and no one came to report to the official. The official of the robbery case only heard about it yesterday, and the details of the situation have not yet been clarified. ”

"What about the people who patrol at night?"

"The lower officials asked, the riverside wharf was already deserted at night, and they didn't hear any movement."

Xu Ping sneered: "That's none of your business?" ”

Wei Zhizhou stubbornly said: "This kind of big case, the thief is cunning, we are really helpless." ”

Xu Ping looked at him, glanced at everyone again, and said in a deep voice: "Wei Zhizhou said this, it sounds reasonable. What do the rest of you think? ”

Hearing Xu Ping's relief, the directors of all Tuzhou counties breathed a sigh of relief and echoed one after another. What kind of people come from various states, and they don't have any money, so they will investigate a thief, how can this kind of case be intervened.

After hearing this, Xu Ping said to Han Zong: "Since all states and counties say so, it is really reluctant for them to do this errand." If you can't do it, don't do it, you tell me to go down, starting tomorrow, Taipingzhai will send people to patrol the grass market on the other side of the river, regardless of litigation and tax calculation, all of them will be under the control of the village. All the original recruited Tuding were dismissed, and they were all allowed to return to their own prefectures, and there was no need to set up a yamen on the other side of the river. ”

Han Zonggong claimed to be.

The directors of the states and counties secretly complained in their hearts, there was a lot of oil and water in that grass market, and many people were in pain when they were handed over all at once. But the situation is forced here, and it is not good to oppose it directly, looking at each other, only hoping that others will come forward.

Huang Tianbiao shrank his head and was secretly proud, Xu Ping's arrangement was exactly what he wanted. Unlike the other barbarians, he has no territory, and he has few clansmen, so he can't catch this piece of oil and water. His income mainly comes from various businesses, and he is always taken advantage of by others. The yamen has withdrawn for a hundred, anyway, he has an official, and he is familiar with the people in the promotion department, so he will not suffer a loss.

Xu Pingyuan didn't want to dwell on this matter, and seeing that no one said anything, he directly changed the topic, asked Wei Zhizhou to sit down, and looked at the person beside him: "Huang Zhixian, the thief escaped from your territory the night before yesterday, and there is no trace of him so far, what do you say?" As the chief official of a county, how can he let thieves come and go freely? ”

Huang Zhixian was taken aback, but he didn't expect the topic to turn to himself, and hurriedly stood up and said: "Shangguan, that night Tan Dianzhi and Gao Ganban were together with Xia Guan, it was raining heavily, and it was night, thieves and horses were fast, we couldn't catch up!" ”

"Where did the thieves go?"

Huang Zhixian was taken aback, and hurriedly said: "Where does the lower official know?" After the incident, I led people to search the whole territory, but there was indeed no trace of the enemy. ”

"Do you know who the thief is?"

"I heard from the senior cadre office that it was Huang Conggui who escaped from Chungju a few years ago. That person is so bold, he was arrested by the government, and he dared to come to Taizhai to commit the crime, and he must be arrested and brought to justice as soon as possible! ”

Xu Ping looked at him, saw that he had been calming down, but his eyes flickered a little, and he asked slowly: "Let me ask you, do you have collusion with the thief?" ”

"How could Shangguan ask such a thing? My family has guarded Luobai County for several generations, and since the time of Taizu, several terms have been loyal to the imperial court, how dare they do such a rebellious thing? ”

"Really?"

"Never! If there is evidence that the official is related to the thief, he will be willing to accept the death penalty! ”

Xu Ping looked at Huang Zhixian with an impassioned look, and smiled slightly: "Since there is none, then sit down." The court treats you well, and you must not do anything unfavorable to the court. ”

Huang Zhixian sat down, his heart pounding. He did not directly participate in Huang Wei and Huang Conggui's actions, but they had been secretly in contact for a long time, and they did intend to let them escape that night. It's just that I never expected that things would make such a big fuss, and I deeply regret that I didn't ask them clearly what case they were going to do beforehand.

"At the location of the Lifting Division, openly looting, killing people and escaping, it is not a trivial matter. These thieves are so bold that if they cannot be apprehended, they will inevitably be panicked. You are all natives and familiar with the geography, tell me where those thieves will flee? ”

After listening to Xu Ping's question, everyone lowered their heads and secretly looked at others, but none of them answered.

Everyone can guess that this kind of thing must be led by Jiaozhi or Guangyuan Prefecture before anyone dares to do it, but who dares to say this? These forces have come to Taipingzhai, and the matter is more serious than Xu Ping said.

Xu Ping looked at everyone, and when he saw that no one spoke, he said, "I'll give you a month to find out Huang Conggui who entered Taiping Village to rob and kill people." Over the years, I heard that he has been living well in the states under Yongzhou, not to mention that you don't know about it. Find out his traces, the state will send someone to capture it, if any of you can capture people, whether they live or die, add officials to the knight, I will guarantee you! ”

When Huang Tianbiao heard this, his eyes lit up, he straightened his waist, and immediately lowered his head again. He is very greedy for such a good thing as adding an official to a knight, and now that he has money, he wants to get a more majestic official body. But think about it again, compared to other states, I am a lonely person, how can such a good thing be my turn?

Huang Zhixian of Luobai County saw that everyone did not speak, and asked cautiously: "Shangguan, what if we can't find any trace of Huang Conggui in a month?" ”

Xu Ping looked at him and said coldly: "Then it's the same as the other side of the river, don't do it if you can't do it!" The court asked you to guard a piece of land, so that you could protect the territory and the people, and contribute to the court, not to let you be powerful there! As a result, the court recidivists come and go freely, what do you want! ”

Huang Zhixian muttered in a low voice: "Shangguan, you have to be reasonable in love." We are local officials in Tuzhou and Tuxian County, not liuguan sent by the imperial court. The meaning of Shangguan's words does not match our identity. ”

"Reason? I'm here today to reason with you. Regardless of the local officials and officials, they are all officials under the rule of the imperial court, and of course they have to serve the imperial court. For such a trivial matter, if you can't catch a fugitive with no roots and no roots in a month, how can you say that you are working for the imperial court? What is the use of officials who do not serve the imperial court? ”

Huang Zhixian said: "Shangguan said this, how can the local officials be the same as the liuguan?" If we don't receive the court's money, how can we be constrained by these rules? ”

"Don't get it? Where are the taxes under your rule? The imperial court does not collect money and grain, is it difficult for you to collect it, is it equivalent to a fortune? I think this rule is not good, then it is easy to do, in the future, the money and food will be collected, and the court will give you a fortune, how about it? ”

Huang Zhixian stopped talking, this Shangguan young man likes to talk nonsense, collect money and food, and make money, isn't that the same as a liuguan? Which would dare to do that? For them, the Earth Emperor, it was really fatal, what did this official do?

Xu Ping looked at Huang Zhixian, who lowered his head, and slowly spoke: "A month later, you gave me the news of Huang Conggui, this is the reason I told you today, and it is your reason." If you can't do it, I'll have to talk about it next time. Think clearly! ”

(Ask for collections, ask for recommendation votes, the list is suppressed, and the face will be shown two or three short.) ）