As Changsheng extinguished his mind of borrowing lanterns to earn a few silver, Niuniu, Tianhui, and the fourth sister began to stay in Huang Xiaoyi's yard and play with lanterns.

However, the lanterns that were pierced were not as big as the ones given to Changsheng, and they were mostly a small lamp the size of a palm.

Gao Taijun received the longevity peach blossom lantern, the Li family received the Wufu lantern, the Zhaojia family sent the marigold, Cao Hao received the Ruyi gourd lantern, Chu Yu received the pomegranate lantern, Xiao Tianbao received the goldfish lantern, and the begonia lantern and camellia lantern were received by the autumn and cherishing the autumn...... Not only did everyone have a share, and they didn't pull any of them, but they also made an extra pearl orchid lantern and sent someone to the prefect's yamen to send it to Zhu Shuang'er.

A few girls were in good spirits, and even with the inner house of the official residence, there was a little more festive atmosphere.

Cao Hao looked at the Ruyi gourd lantern made by Niuniu and Tianhui, and it was also rare, and he deliberately took it to the official residence and placed it on the bookcase.

It's okay not to look at it, but I can't help but feel a little worried when I look at it.

Although the Mid-Autumn Festival is lively, it is also the most likely time for accidents.

Although he only stayed in Qingyuan for two years, Cao Hao still liked this comfortable city.

Fire and water are merciless, and autumn is a dry time.

Cao Hao thought of this, so he wrote a handwritten letter and sent it to the prefect's yamen, asking Zhu Zhilian to increase fire prevention; Then he wrote a handwritten book and sent it to Xie Tianlai, the city guard Wei Yamen, and ordered him to arrange more manpower to inspect during the lantern festival to prevent small troubles.

If it's a petty theft or something, it's just a few pieces of silver; If it's a kidnapper, a pervert or something, it's a big thing that will bring disaster to the family.

It is a good thing to hold a lantern festival and have fun with the people, but it is a sin to harm the people.

A small lantern festival attracted the attention of the governor, Zhu Zhilian and Xie Tianlai were careful, arranged the manpower more carefully, and tried to finish the lantern festival safely.

The officers and soldiers of the prefect's yamen and the city guard and the government office have all canceled their holidays and are on duty in shifts.

As the lantern festival approaches, the number of people who come to Qingyuan to join relatives and friends, waiting to visit the lantern festival has increased.

This is also the result of the clear government affairs of the officialdom in the past two years, the light taxation of the people, and the prosperity of the people's livelihood.

Not only are well-informed traders coming from out of town to do some business through the lantern festival; There are farmers in the countryside who have picked up handmade specialties and went to the city to catch the lantern collection; Of course, there are also ruffians around Qingyuan, who flock to it, and I don't know how many incidents occur in each day.

In front of the yamen of Qingyuan Zhixian County, there was an endless stream of people beating drums and complaining.

In the prefect's yamen, Zhu Zhilian finally felt a sense of remorse, and said to his staff member Liu Chuan with a bitter face: "This time, I'm afraid I'm doing something bad with good intentions." ”

At this point, it cannot be said that the Lantern Festival will be canceled by the people, after all, the prefect's yamen represents the face of the imperial court.

Liu Chuan was also worried in his heart, but he said calmly as usual on his face: "Now that the matter is now, it is necessary for adults to cheer up their spirits. As long as there are no major mistakes, this lantern festival is still a move to benefit the people. ”

Infected by Liu Chuan's calmness, Zhu Zhilian's originally uneasy heart also came to fruition, and he nodded: "Not bad, not bad, where is there any kung fu to complain, and then think about whether there is anything left behind......"

* In the midst of the hustle and bustle, finally on August 12, the lantern festival in Qingyuan City kicked off.

Cao Hao originally wanted to take the time to go around and find the feeling of having fun with the people, but he was stumped by Tang Zhiyu.

But it is for the distribution of honest silver.

According to the rules previously set by Cao Hao and Tang Zhiyu, this honest silver was divided into two parts, one part was issued according to grades, and the other part was issued according to the merits of officials in the year.

The former is easy to say, they are all fixed; The right of the latter to evaluate is in the governor's yamen.

Different positions, the evaluation standards are different, carefully speaking, it is a cumbersome project.

Even if Cao Hao can't see everyone's evaluation resume, he must arrange appropriate personnel to check them one by one.

Cao Hao couldn't pull away, but Changsheng finally got his wish after grinding and soaking.

However, before going out, Li repeatedly told him, and asked Chu Yu to send a few more people to follow.

Rao is like this, and the Li family is also worried all night, and he can't wait to send someone out to ask if he has come back once in a quarter of an hour.

Finally, Changsheng was still sensible, and he knew that someone in the family was worried, so he returned to the governor's palace at half past eight in the evening.

This trip was not in vain, with large bags and small bags, and came back with more than a dozen bags of things.

There are crude folk maltose sold at the lantern festival, snacks that girls like such as dried red and dried apples in the mountains, as well as various clay sculptures and wood carving gadgets.

"The two sisters and their nieces and nephews are not cheap to go out to play, so it's good to look at these things to satisfy your cravings." Changsheng asked Xiaolou to divide these things into several parts, and they were sent everywhere, and everyone was happy.

Although you can't go shopping at will, you can wait until you go to the prefect's yamen for a banquet, and you can also see some lanterns at the door of the yamen, and Niuniu and Tianhui have some expectations.

In the blink of an eye, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Dinner was placed in the courtyard of the Li family, because the boys were all in the capital, and the rest of the people sat around a round table, which was also lively.

A few days in advance, Chu Yu wrote a letter to transfer the moon cake master from the capital, brought a lot of moon cake materials, and baked a lot of moon cakes after arriving at the governor's palace.

The largest one, more than two feet in diameter, with a five-kernel filling, and a pattern of Fu Shou Lu on the outside, appeared just after dinner.

Because "men don't worship the moon, women don't sacrifice to the stove", Cao Hao and Changsheng ate a few bites of moon cakes together, and then left early.

Cao Hao went to the official residence and continued to read the official documents; Changsheng greeted the Li family, brought two small servants, held two boxes of moon cakes, melons and fruits, and went to the academy to send moon cakes to a few classmates in other places.

But it was a good day.

The bright moon is in the sky, the autumn breeze is cool, and the melons and fruits are fragrant.

Gao's was old, sleepy early, and went back first with the help of two maids, leaving the rest of the women to stay in the courtyard.

On the side of the official residence, it was a little deserted, except for the scribes on two shifts, everyone else was also on vacation, and Cao Hao was busy for more than an hour before he finished reading the official documents at hand.

He stretched, looked up, and looked at the clock on his desk, it was already early (nine o'clock in the evening).

He handed the official documents he had read to the two scribes and put them away.

As he came out of the mansion, he heard the sound of hurried, messy footsteps in the distance, breaking the peaceful atmosphere.

Cao Hao's footsteps stopped, his expression froze, and he looked at the person who came, not someone else, it was Jiang Jian, who was pale, his steps were messy, his clothes were crumpled, and his hat was nowhere to be found.

"Non-phosphorus?" Cao Hao was very surprised.

"Your Excellency...... Something happened......" Jiang Jian saw him standing in front of the house, and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Baoshan Bridge collapsed......"

When Cao Hao heard this, his heart sank.

Baoshan Bridge is just east of the prefect's yamen, which is the most prosperous and lively area in Qingyuan City.

At this time, Jiang Jian had already taken a breath and said: "Although there is no water under the bridge, it can't stand the large number of people, and after the bridge collapsed, the people panicked and crowded, and they were killed and injured...... The casualties are immeasurable......" In the end, he was already horrified.

Cao Hao had already gasped, the bridge collapsed, and the people on it were just bruised, and the stampede that occurred after the crowding was the most terrible.

He stabilized his mind and said, "The prefect's yamen has passed?" ”

"Yes, Mr. Song was also asked by Liu Chuan to stay and help, and the student was worried that the situation would be unsettled, so he came back to tell the adults." Jiang Jian said.

After dinner, he was dragged out of the governor's palace by Song Hou and went to the street to enjoy the lanterns.

Because it is the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are the most people who enjoy the lanterns.

The two of them squeezed in the crowd for a while, guessed two lantern riddles, and then lost interest and wanted to go back to the governor's palace.

When the Baoshan Bridge collapsed, they had just crossed the bridge and were only a few dozen feet away from the Baoshan Bridge.

There are too many people watching the lanterns.

After all, Song Hou was an old man who was over the age of six, and Jiang Jian was afraid of squeezing him, so the two of them walked forward by the shops on both sides of the street to avoid being overcrowded.

It was this choice that allowed the two of them to escape.

Cao Hao's heart was heavy, as early as when the prefect's yamen began to prepare for the lantern festival, he was ominous, but at that time he was worried about the ruthlessness of water and fire.

After all, there are many houses in the city, and if a fire really starts, it will be light to burn down a street.

He was busy summoning people, went to pass on Liang Chuanfu, and then ordered 300 governors' standards, and followed him out of the governor's palace and went to the market.

The bridge has collapsed, and all that remains is to keep the city safe and avoid any disturbance.

By the time they arrived at the market, the roads had been blocked, and the officers and soldiers of the city guard, together with the officers of the prefect's yamen, joined forces to disperse the passers-by.

In the distance, I heard Xie Tianlai's accented shouting.

The ground was in shambles, and there were people who had nothing to do with themselves standing behind the officers and soldiers watching the excitement, and there were also people who had been separated from their families and friends, wailing and refusing to leave, and were stopped by the officers and soldiers with scabbards.

Seeing that Cao Hao had arrived, Xie Tianlai hurriedly stepped forward to see him.

The street where the accident occurred, the east-west intersection, has been completely blocked.

At present, the prefect Zhu Zhilian is leading people to count the casualties at the accident site.

Before that, he had already ordered a few servants to knock on the doors of several medical centers.

Cao Hao nodded, left Liang Chuanfu outside, and instructed him to take three hundred governors and cooperate with the city guard and the prefect's yamen to pacify the chaotic people and clean up the nearby security.

He and Jiang Jian, together with a few more people, went directly to the blockade site.

I heard groaning in the distance, and after walking more than ten feet, the ground was full of people. On one side is the corpse that has been confirmed to be dead; On one side are the wounded.

On both sides of the road, there are fallen wooden cases and the remains of broken lanterns.

The scene in front of me cannot be said to be hell on earth, but it is also shocking.

Cao Hao did not wear an official uniform, and the officers and soldiers who came and went to carry the wounded and dead bodies did not recognize him. Although there were curious people, no one came forward to ask.

Looking at this situation, Cao Hao's chest felt panicked.

If he had been more careful and thought of the accidents that would have been caused by a large number of people, he might have been able to avoid this evil consequence.

At this time, I heard Jiang Jian say: "My lord, Lord Zhu, where are they ......?"

Sure enough, there were a few people standing not far away, it was Zhu Zhilian, Song Hou, and Liu Chuan......*

(To be continued)