Xu Chang and Ying'er are much more well-behaved than the previous Granny Hong, and now Xu Ping is in charge of everything in the grange, and the two of them are just assisting from the side, checking and filling in the gaps, and never making their own decisions.

Because of Xu Ping's order, everyone returned to the courtyard, and the banquet was ready.

A main table was in the middle, Xu Ping took Zhao Zi and Sang Yi to sit down, and Xu Chang and Gao Daquan accompanied him.

The wine was poured, Xu Ping picked up the bowl and saluted Zhao Zi first: "Today's incident is a lot of offense to Tihar, just as a reason for everyone to know, don't take Tihar to heart!" ”

Zhao Zi is not a rough person with a straight intestine, although he will not hold a grudge against this matter, it is inevitable that he will feel uncomfortable. After drinking, he said to Xu Ping: "The little owner doesn't need to mention this matter today." lost the gambling battle, Zhao Zi naturally admitted it, and even if he revealed it. In the future, I will also train a few capable subordinates, and then I will compare with you. ”

Xu Ping smiled and didn't answer, and this matter just passed.

After letting go and drinking a few times, Zhao Zi drank with Gao Daquan and talked about some things on knives, guns and sticks, and ignored Xu Ping very much.

Xu Ping knew that he still had a problem in his heart, and he didn't bother to pay attention to him, so he only talked to Sang Yi.

Sang Yi is a township tribute jinshi, and the two talked about some things in poetry and books. Xu Ping's knowledge was learned from Chinese class when he was in school in his previous life, and he had read books with Lin Wensi for so long, because he didn't care at all, and he didn't make any progress.

However, after talking for a while, Xu Ping found that Sang Yi was not much better than himself, and when it came to some profound places, he was even inferior to himself.

This discovery surprised Xu Ping. This is a person who has passed the Liberation Examination and has participated in the provincial examination, and he does not know how high the Jinshi Branch is compared to the Zhuke, and it is said that his status is still above Lin Wensi. I wondered in my heart for a while, and finally came to an impatient conclusion, there are too many places in Kaifeng Mansion, and the lifting here is too watery. As long as you study hard for a few years, you can mix up the status of a tribute student, although it is not much good, at least you will be exempted from your labor.

In fact, during the Northern Song Dynasty, especially in the early middle and early periods, Kaifeng Prefecture had a few times that as long as the people who did not make a mistake were counted, it was not enough to make up the number of people. The examiner who took the examination and asked for the reduction of the number of places in Kaifeng Mansion, but the emperor resolutely refused to reduce it because this was the capital. It wasn't until a large influx of high-quality personnel that the situation slowly changed.

This is also because at this time, the imperial examination has just begun to rise and is in the stage of slow improvement. Although Bianliang City claims to have a population of more than one million, the army and officials account for a large part, and the real natives are not much more than some large states. At this time, the scholars did not have the status of the later Ming and Qing dynasties, and as long as they were selected for the show, they would have fame and enjoy various privileges. At this time, only by participating in the provincial examination could he have the slightest benefit of being exempted from hard labor, and there was no custom in society of studying hard at all costs.

Thinking of this, Xu Ping said in his heart, if he reads casually like this, wouldn't he be able to get the name of a Xianggong Jinshi on his body?

Of course, if you want to really be a junior sergeant, the requirements are much higher.

The number of people in Kaifeng Mansion is calculated separately from Guozijian, and the low-end lifters in Kaifeng Mansion are not watery. In fact, in the entire Northern Song Dynasty, the people from Kaifeng Mansion and Guozijian together accounted for one-fourth to one-fifth of the Dengke Jinshi all year round.

Sang Yi and Xu Ping are both half-bucket readers, and their personal interests are not on this, and after talking for a while, the two of them have a clear mind to avoid poetry and books.

Sang Yi asked Xu Ping: "Little village owner, can you talk to the thieves around here?" ”

Xu Ping organized it and told Sang Yi the news he got from Li Wei that day. Of course, he only said that Li Wei was a local elder, and omitted the plot of beating himself.

Sang Yi pondered for a while and said, "Money moves people's hearts!" If it's just an ordinary thief, it's easy to deal with. Now that it is implicated in yellow and white atractylodes, it will be a little troublesome. ”

After thinking for a while, he asked again: "Does the little farmer know that the monk really has a spell?" ”

Xu Ping was taken aback and replied, "Aren't all magic tricks deceiving? Where is the truth and falsehood? ”

Sang Yi shook his head: "Don't say that, the little farmer, where can the things in the world be said!" I've also heard people say that there is a magic in the medicine, and the medicine silver is the same as the real silver, no matter how you use the fire to smelt, the color will not change at all! ”

Xu Ping was a highly educated person in his previous life, where would he believe such a ridiculous thing, and said to Sang Yi: "Xiucai doesn't need to be entangled in this, it can't be fake, it can't be fake." Copper is copper, no matter how much he ignites, it is impossible to turn it into silver, these methods are all deceptive! ”

Sang Yi saw that Xu Ping said resolutely, but he was a real scholar who did not believe in strange powers, and his views on this kind of thing were pedantic and no longer argued. Said: "No matter whether it is real silver or fake silver, as long as it can't be distinguished, it can be believed, and someone will come up to it." Now it's just a small group of thieves who are picking up this matter, and if there is really silver pointed out and people can see it, there will be big families involved in it. If this big family is rich and powerful, do you think it will be difficult to do? ”

Xu Ping sighed and didn't speak again.

After hearing Li Wei's news that day, Xu Ping didn't take it to heart. There are dozens of big men in his village, and he will be afraid of a gang of thieves? It was only when the matter involved the theft of Xiuxiu's sheep that he paid more attention to it.

Who knew that within a few days, some foreign merchants were robbed and killed. But there was no bitterness in this case, and only clothes were left, and there was no body to be seen, and it was pressed down.

After this incident, Xu Ping began to pay attention, this group of people is really good at killing!

organized his own bankers to train, Xu Ping asked around for news, and the situation got worse and worse. It is said that this group of people has really ordered the silver to come out, which can move many people, and the soldiers of the group pastoral division are already loosely managed, and it is said that there are many people involved. What's even worse, the old enemy of the Xu family also took action.

The deposed Ma Jian is between the Jinshui River and the Huimin River, and the opposite side of the Huimin River is Weishi County. It's good to die or not, it is the hometown of Ma Jiliang of the Ma History Museum who forced the Xu family out of the capital.

His family was originally a tea merchant, and his family had a big business, but later married the daughter of Liu Mei, the brother of the Empress Dowager Liu, and climbed the big tree of Queen Liu Dahou, and the family business started like a blow.

This family is not to be provoked. Liu Mei's original name was Gong Mei, who was originally the ex-husband of the Empress Dowager Liu, and after the Empress Dowager Liu entered the palace, she recognized him as her brother and was favored. At this time, Liu Mei had passed away, and the Queen Mother's thoughts were on Liu Mei's son and daughter.

To give an example, you can see how favored Ma Jiliang was at this time.

The reason why Ma Jiliang is called the Horse History Museum is because he has the position of the History Museum at this time. The librarian is a noble ministry, and they are all extremely talented and promising people. The Queen Mother ordered Ma Jiliang to try for the gym job, which was an exam, but Ma Jiliang didn't learn and didn't have any skills, and he couldn't hold back a word on the test paper for a long time. The queen mother ordered the eunuch to deliver food, so that the examiner could finish it early. The examiner was impatient, so he had to help him finish the paper.

This examiner is said to be Yan Shu, a prodigy who Xu Ping had read many of his words in his previous life.

Yan Shu is already in a high position at this time, and he still flatters this family like this, how old is their Xu family?

The people of the Ma family love money like life, and when they heard about a good thing about turning copper into silver, they looked for a way everywhere to invite this group of people to their homes and order a mountain of gold and silver.

A gang of country thieves Xu Ping can not care, a favored family of relatives is the opponent of his own family, Xu Ping has to be careful.

The reason why Sang Yi proposed how to do the big family is that I am afraid that he also thought of this family.

After being silent for a while, Xu Ping said: "According to Xiucai, what are we going to do?" ”

Sang Yi said: "The top priority is to get the medicinal silver that this group of people has ignited, and see if it can be used as real silver." As long as their spells fail, the matter is defeated, and everything is well said. If, on the other hand, they can turn into real silver, it will get bigger and bigger, unless a high-ranking official in the court comes forward, we have no way at all. ”

Xu Ping nodded: "Xiucai has a point. Their medicinal silver must be fake, as long as it is in my hands, there must be a way to distinguish it, so that they can't do anything! ”

Sang Yi smiled: "The little owner is full of confidence!" As long as you really have the ability, this gang of thieves will not be difficult to get rid of. It's just that this matter has to be fast, and the more it drags on, the more troublesome it becomes. ”

The two talked for a while, and then settled down. Xu Ping led people to guard his homeland, and Sang Yi went to find a way to get some of the medicinal silver, he dealt with many thieves, and he had experience in this matter.

Wait for the medicine and silver to arrive, and then make a strategy.