In the back house of the government, Li Deng instructed the housekeeper to invite the old master to discuss countermeasures, and the old lady's surname was Zhou Zushen, and the calligrapher Han was from Shaoxing.

As soon as the people arrived, Li Dengxian sighed: "Master, I can't be an official. ”

Zhou Zushen hurriedly asked, "Dong Weng, why are you so discouraged?" ”

"Alas!" Li Deng immediately explained the reason.

Zhou Zushen said in surprise: "Ask Taizun, why did you agree to him?" ”

Li Deng explained: "If I don't agree to him, he will go to the political envoy department, and when he meets his boss, he has to promise him." I thought that instead of giving good people to others to do, I could do it myself, and be happy to ask the newspaper to take my good, and there might be a place to rely on them in the future. ”

Zhou Zushen said: "It doesn't matter if you send a few people away, but in this matter, Taizun has already passed the top, and the boss has approved it, and asked Taizun to do it." It's only been a month, and Taizun put this matter aside because he was busy with donations. The day before yesterday, there was another document from above, urging us to hurry up and conclude the trial, how could he ask him to bring people away? ”

As soon as Li Deng heard that this was reasonable, he hesitated in his heart, and even said: "Then what should I do? Why don't I take a sedan chair to get people back? ”

"Huh!" Master Zhou snorted, "It's not easy to talk about!" If the other party is not sure, he will not rashly take someone away. ”

"My case has not been tried, how can you not pay me back? He said that he had unfinished business with these people, so he had to lead them. Li Deng's weak mouth was hard.

Master Zhou said: "It's just a matter of fame, now that everyone is gone, one by one they are at ease there, making the adults lose face." ”

Li Deng squinted his eyes and asked, "According to this, I was deceived by them?" ”

Seeing that Dong Weng was unhappy, Master Zhou hurriedly said, "How dare you! It's just that he is too respectful and kind-hearted. ”

Li Deng said angrily: "You didn't see the appearance in the hall just now, it is really urgent, with the face of being an official." No matter who he is, he can't be beaten. I read that he is a senior, and he doesn't want to tear his face, if he really turns his face, how can he bear me? ”

Master Zhou said: "In fact, Taizun can turn out the Da Ming law to reason with him, there is always only one word 'reason' in the world, and he has violated the law of the country, can he still intervene, and dare to intervene?" ”

"Who remembers the many laws?" Li Deng's expression was dumbfounded, "Anyone who is an official must memorize the law before becoming an official." It's too hard. ”

Master Zhou sighed: "Since he ascended the throne today, even if he is much more comfortable as an official than the Hongwu Dynasty, it is not as good as the previous dynasty. ”

"Who's to say it's not, it's been revised, how many times in the last ten years? Almost every year, some articles are added, but the imperial court has repeatedly said that the ancestral system of the Taizu Dynasty has not been changed, but it is only being improved. Li Deng couldn't help but complain, "I'm afraid that even Shangshu, Shilang, and Buzheng can't remember this in their stomachs." Needless to say, we are prefects. ”

Master Zhou said: "If you can't remember, you'll suffer." ”

Li Deng said: "At present, regardless of whether we suffer losses or not, we have to find a way to get people back." ”

Zhou Zushen groaned: "According to the following, this matter is quite difficult to handle. Are those poor sours easy to provoke? And now they have a connection with the province, in case they write something and publish it anytime and anywhere. It's like a tiger with wings, and I don't know what will happen in the future. ”

Li Deng said: "Then I don't care about anything, and if I can't do it, it will only hurt my old face." You'll have to make a trip. ”

Master Zhou saw that Dong Weng's face was not a face, and he had no good way, so he had to retreat.

Lee Deng ordered the officials in charge to come in. Ask where the editor-in-chief lives.

The official said, "I don't know, so I'll send someone to investigate." ”

Li Deng said angrily: "There are only a few inns in the city, how do you do things? Hurry up and find out. ”

The official didn't dare to reply, and on the way out, he muttered: "Don't ask if you are an adult, and there is still a mouth to say about us." ”

At that moment, he scattered people to investigate the whole city, and soon came back to say that the people seemed to have gone to the countryside, and the officials were busy going to see the prefect.

The government fired three cannons, and Li Deng came out in a sedan chair and went straight to the countryside, and happened to meet the editor-in-chief and a few Xiucai on the way, walking to the city.

Li Deng knocked on the handrail with his hand, ordered the sedan chair driver to stop, and kept shouting: "Mr. Zhao, I have come to worship you!" You don't go, let's go in and talk. ”

The white-haired editor-in-chief Zhao said lightly: "My lord must have made a mistake, now that he is not in the officialdom, he is just an idle cloud and wild crane, and he can't afford to visit the dignified prefect." ”

"Where's that?" Li Deng rushed out in a few steps, pulled the other party's sleeve, and saw that the few scholars were the few talents caught in front of him.

Seeing that Governor Li had never had any festival, he greeted them affectionately one by one, and walked to the tea shop on the side of the road together.

Editor-in-Chief Zhao couldn't be troubled by him, so he had to let the talents sit on the other side and said, "Let's talk about it here." ”

Li Deng said with a smile: "You can't talk outside, let's talk in the yamen for a while, right?" ”

Everyone who was willing to fall for him secretly said that the weasel gave the chicken a New Year's greeting, and he didn't have a good heart! At the same time, the talents were apprehensive, and they all looked at the face of Editor-in-Chief Zhao.

I only heard Editor-in-Chief Zhao say: "Master Li, I understand what you mean. Let's do it, we have something to do today, and I will go to your yamen to receive the teachings another day, this time I came to Yongshun, but I said hello to Master Fu and said goodbye! ”

After speaking, he led the big guy away, making trouble that Governor Li stood there alone, almost unable to step down, and his lungs were about to explode.

After standing for a long time, he asked the sedan chair man to carry the sedan chair over, and he sat up angrily and didn't say anywhere.

The sedan chair took two steps, and the steward came up to ask for instructions, and was angrily said by Governor Li: "You are stupid! Where can I go if I don't go back? ”

The people below didn't dare to speak, and immediately carried the sedan chair back to the house, Li Deng got off the sedan chair and walked into the signing room, his anger did not subside, and when he was taking off his coat, suddenly a servant came in and replied: "My lord, the old man does not live in the countryside, but lives in a small inn in the west of the house. ”

Li Deng hurriedly passed the sedan chair to serve, even if it was only two steps, there were unwritten rules in the officialdom, and it was not feasible to take one step away from the sedan chair. Just like it is impossible for high-ranking officials in later generations not to travel by car, firstly, for the sake of official shelves, and secondly, if they do serious things without putting carriages and horses, what kind of officials are they? Third, there are many reasons. There is no need to explain clearly.

When he arrived at the inn, without waiting for the report, he got off the sedan chair first and asked all the way in. Q: Which room does Mr. Zhao live in? The counter replied: "There are no customers surnamed Zhao in the small store for the past two days. ”

Li Zhifu said: "It doesn't matter what the surname is, he is an old gentleman from a provincial city, and his literary quality is very polite." ”

The cabinet thought for a while and said, "From room No. 3 to room No. 5, I don't know which one people live in." ”

Li Deng had to look for it himself, and when he arrived at the door of room No. 5, he was indeed inside. Most of the editor-in-chief Zhao knew that he couldn't hide, not to mention that he wasn't ready to hide. Qing waited for the prefect to come, waited for him to come in by himself, sat on the chair and ignored it.

Zhong Xiucai had to get up and avoid it, and Li Deng didn't dare to take the fight, so he made a fuss again and again, and said: "I have always been close to each other." The lower officials were assigned by the constitution to come here to do things, and after receiving the seal, they have been busy with official affairs until now. I'm sorry for you. ”

The person who came was a guest, and Editor-in-Chief Zhao slowly spoke: "Lord Li is polite, I want you to come by yourself, don't dare to be." ”

Li Deng pretended to be generous and said: "Since all the gentlemen are here. Let's meet us. ”

Editor-in-Chief Zhao sneered slightly: "Are they afraid of seeing the government, or are they not convenient." ”

"Their knowledge and conduct, the lower officials have admired for a long time, and since they are here. See you naturally. Li Deng laughed.

Editor-in-Chief Zhao has been retired for many years, and he has long been impatient with this kind of hypocrisy and politeness in officialdom, and frowned: "They are the same as me. It's all unreasonable people, forget it. ”

When Li Deng heard this, he pretended to think about it for a while before he said, "Then forget it." In fact, it is not a big deal for Xia Guan to come here, but there is a little matter, I have to discuss it with Mr. ”

Editor-in-Chief Zhao deliberately said: "I am a civilian, and when I arrive at your mansion, I rely on the protection of the yamen everywhere, what else does the mansion have to discuss with me?" ”

"Not for anything else." Li Deng rubbed his hands, "It's the few Xiucai who Mr. is going to come in the morning." ”

"I've left it to you, what's the matter now?" Editor-in-Chief Zhao asked.

Li Deng said: "These people were originally asked to be arrested by the superiors, but now they have not yet been tried to confess, so they were asked by the husband to go. ”

Editor-in-Chief Zhao said righteously: "My lord's words are wrong, don't say that these people were wronged, even if they are not wronged, the constitution ordered you to take people, you should be interrogated immediately, what should be done, and what should be released. Now I am because they have some unfinished affairs with the newspaper, and the money owed to us is not known, if they have been locked up in prison, if they escape, where will I ask for the money? Therefore I brought them to me, and told them to come to me, and I was relieved. ”

In the final analysis, Editor-in-Chief Zhao has no right to confront the government, even the newspaper does not have the guts, of course, Governor Li does not dare to use power to oppress people, so he said: "This matter, I have to discuss with you to ask them to go back, I am willing to pack up the house for them to live in, for them to eat and drink, it is not difficult for others, Mr. can rest assured, right?" ”

Editor-in-chief Zhao said: "Will you have a house for them to live in?" Joke! But they were put in prison and waited until the instructions from above arrived, so that they could be brought out to correct the Fa. If I go back with you this time, it will cost them their lives. ”

Li Deng explained: "Their crimes are not necessarily capital crimes, they are probably giving me a bare face, where will they take people's lives?" ”

"The events of the Hongwu Dynasty are vivid, but the other way around." Editor-in-chief Zhao looked indignant, estimating that this old man was the first generation of public knowledge in China, and he didn't know who he had been infected with, and he was extremely disgusted with the autocracy of the local government covering the sky with one hand.

No matter what dynasty, rebellion is an untouchable high-voltage line, and it is often better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let go of one.

Editor-in-Chief Zhao said coldly: "Anyway, I don't believe in Fuzun's words, please go back, my room is very dirty, and it's a small place, not for you to come." (To be continued......)