Qin Official

"Wait a minute!"

As soon as Heifu asked the coachman to drive out of the city gate, a figure stopped in front of him. He looked up and said in surprise: "It's really the Lord of Five Hundred!"

This voice sounded familiar. Hei Fu took a closer look and saw that the person in front of him was Nanjun Baijiangman, who had fought together in Linyang of Chu State.

At that time, there were a total of four hundred generals in Linyang City. Xu Yang lost his mind due to fear and suddenly rebelled, imprisoning Zhai Chong and Tu Si. Man Man was still clever. At that time, he acted submissively, but when Gong Ao sword stabbed Xu Yang, Man jumped out and rebelled. One blow incidentally saved Gong Ao's life.

At this time, Man Ye had already confirmed that the person coming was Heifu. He couldn't help shouting with joy. The six or seven people who had been waiting at the north gate of Ying County for a long time gathered around. It turned out that they were all Nanjun soldiers and soldiers who had experienced the Linyang Battle. Official. If Heifu remembers correctly, including Man, they are all natives of Ying County and Jiangling.

In the battle of Linyang, Heifu not only led the Anlu County township party members to serve as officials, but also hundreds of Nanjun soldiers who survived the battle were all knighted. Although Heifu gave the main credit to Li You, these Nanjun soldiers all remembered Heifu's "kindness".

They remember that it was Hei Fu who risked his life to enter the enemy camp and pretended to surrender, causing the Chu army to relax their vigilance; they also remembered that it was Hei Fu who stood in the market stall, burned the food, and with no way out, he raised his arms and shouted to everyone, " I’ll take you home!”

He did what he said, and everyone gathered around Hei Fu and charged fearlessly towards the Chu army's position. It was a sudden explosion after being depressed for a long time. Everyone could not forget the feeling of that moment. It seemed that they just followed Hei Fu and acted recklessly. The Chu army was really defeated, just like a dream.

When they finally returned home, the person who was most grateful in everyone's hearts was none other than Hei Fu.

At this moment, everyone was quite excited to see Hei Fu again, so they followed Man and bowed to the ground before Hei Fu!

This was something Hei Fu had not expected in advance. He quickly got out of the car and helped everyone up, and said movingly:

"Second and third sons, get up! We've been separated for more than a month, and it's like three autumns. I never thought that we would meet again here!"

Man smiled and said: "I am working in the county captain's mansion. I heard that the five hundred masters will come to Ying County to take up a post. I calculated that the time will arrive today. I have been waiting here with us since I got up in the morning!"

Everyone was here to stage a reunion of comrades-in-arms, but behind them was the charioteer of a carriage, who snapped his whip impatiently. It turned out that Heifu and the others were blocking the road.

The soldiers' faces were dull and they were about to explode, but Hei Fu stopped them and asked the coachman to move to the left side of the road with everyone, making way for the carriages and pedestrians behind to enter the city.

One of the superiors was quite dissatisfied at first and said: "I heard from the Man Hundred General that the Lord of Five Hundred is coming this time to be Cao Shi of the Left Army. This is an officer with a rank of four hundred stones. What are you afraid of them doing?"

But when he saw clearly the posture of the motorcade behind him, he couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.

Heifu had noticed it when he entered the city. Behind him was a convoy, with a military chariot in front and behind, both with single shafts and two horses, and in the middle was a four-horse chariot.

Military chariots are open-topped, and the one Heifu spent 20,000 yuan to buy is a military chariot. Although it can be used for transportation, it cannot block the wind and rain.

The Anche has a closed compartment that can protect it from wind and rain, and its body is also large. It is equipped with facilities for sleeping, living, and riding, which is relatively comfortable. In short, it is the same shape and shape as the No. 1 and No. 2 chariots unearthed from the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang.

An armored chariot is obviously more expensive than a military chariot. Together with the horses, the price of one chariot exceeds one hundred thousand yuan, and it cannot be owned by anyone but a wealthy family.

Not to mention that the carriage was painted black and was pulled by four dappled horses, which meant that only those with a title of "Fifth Doctor" or above and their children could ride it.

In addition to the military chariots and carriages, there were two carriages carrying goods behind them. Around the convoy were scattered more than a dozen warriors who were either riding horses and holding spears, or walking and carrying swords. There were four or five other people dressed as maids, also following the car step by step. They all looked arrogant and looked down upon the people on the roadside.

After Hei Fu and the others took the initiative to give way to the left side of the road, the convoy of people and horses passed by with a neighing sound. During this time, the curtain of the carriage was still opened, and inside there was a young man with a face like a crown jewel, slightly arching his hand towards Hei Fu.

Heifu also returned the salute from a distance. After the convoy moved away along Tudao, Mancai scolded the impulsive soldier:

"I'm afraid you are not blind. Look at the posture of this motorcade. Not only is the charioteer dressed in luxurious clothes, but the knights and servants following behind are carrying long swords. Several maidservants are also dressed in silk clothes. The one sitting in the Ancar This young gentleman must be an extraordinary person..."

Man was right. These people didn't go straight and gallop by. They even opened the window to salute and thank them. They were extremely well-educated. Heifu had just arrived and hadn't paid a visit to Li You yet. He clashed with the nobles on the road over a trivial matter. very?

The scenario of bumping into a dandy on the street and having a conflict over a disagreement is unlikely to happen in Qin. Because of the strict laws of the Qin Dynasty, Shang Yang directly punished the prince of Qin who was galloping in the street for everyone to see. More than a hundred years have passed. Except for the heirs who conveyed urgent military information, no descendant of the noble family dared to act so wantonly in the street. Racing a horse, let alone having a verbal conflict, can be considered a private fight...

The wealthy are more familiar with laws and regulations and are more cautious than the poor and humble.

However, this episode once again reminded Heifu that although he could rule the roost in Anlu, after coming to the county town, his title and official position were nothing.

After this episode, everyone talked about old times on the roadside for a while. Man said that he was now serving as a military official in the county captain's mansion, and the other six or seven people also reported their current positions. They were either the commander of a village in the army, or the commander of a pavilion, and one even served as a li dian.

"What's wrong with Ridori?"

The man had the lowest position among everyone, and he was a little embarrassed. He shouted: "I am in charge of dozens of families, which is much better than just a small official before the war!"

When Hei Fu heard this, he couldn't help but be a little touched. Everyone had their own duties, but today they gathered together to greet him, which was enough to show their gratitude and admiration for Hei Fu. Hei Fu was also very happy in his heart. The hard work he put in at that time was finally rewarded. prosperous profits.

"Although most of these people are just junior officials at present, they are the cornerstone of my foothold in Ying County!"

This is just Ying County. I heard from Man that there are more than ten people in Jiangling. By extension, hundreds of soldiers who followed Heifu to break through and fight in the war have now been promoted and are spread throughout the eighteen counties of Nan County.

"Perhaps this will be my first political qualification!"

Thinking of this, after saying goodbye to Li Xian, Ji Ying, Dongmen Bao and other township party subordinates, the feeling of being alone in a strange place disappeared, and Heifu only felt a sense of pride in his heart.

"With these Nanjun soldiers as my support, where can I go in the eighteen counties of Nanjun?"

…

After this incident, Heifu became more confident in serving in the Bing Cao and helping Li You train troops.

Everyone took a temporary leave to meet Hei Fu, and Hei Fu had to report to the county captain's mansion before the sun set. So they agreed to make an appointment with the Pao Ze brothers in Jiangling City on another day to gather together to clean up Hei Fu. Then they said goodbye to each other and hurried back to their respective posts.

Only Man was left riding a horse in front, guiding Heifu to the county captain's mansion.

"I didn't expect that Captain Li would come to Nanjun to take up a post."

He smiled happily and said: "After I came here, the captain transferred me to be the official history officer. Today, the captain also asked me to come to greet the five hundred masters... the officials."

It was vaguely possible to guess the "deal" Hei Fu made with Li You, but he was a smart man and could see through it without telling it. When Li You came to Nanjun, all the people who followed him to break out of the encirclement and return home became Direct descendants, like Man, who could still remember the name of Li You, were promoted immediately.

This is the "long-term benefit" of Heifu letting Gong Shi calculate in the first place. Not only does he benefit, but everyone can benefit.

Not long after, the two arrived at the Sheriff's Mansion, and saw that the house was in a deep courtyard with carved walls. It was very luxurious and gorgeously decorated.

"Our county official's office in Anlu County cannot be compared with it." Heifu lamented that provincial and ministerial level agencies are different.

It was full of locals, and he had long been used to it. He laughed and said: "Ying County was originally the palace of the King of Chu, and later it was changed to a county. Every official office here was once the palace of the King of Chu. How can it not be tall and tall?" Luxurious? In the center of the city, there are several larger palaces and gardens, which are still empty. Because they are too far away, no governor or lieutenant dares to live in them, so they can only be used as the king's palace. Although the king has been I’ve never stayed here before…”

"It will come..." Hei Fu thought to himself, Qin Shihuang was a man who could not sit still. After becoming emperor, he spent half of his time patrolling the world.

At this time, Heifu also noticed that at the stables crowded with carriages and horses at the gate of the Sheriff's Mansion, the Anchai they met at the city gate was clearly lined up. After all, four horse-drawn horses were driving at the same time. They haven't seen Heifu on this journey, so they can't be wrong.

"Could it be that the jade-faced gentleman also came to the county captain's mansion?"

Without thinking too much, Man Man stepped forward familiarly and explained his intention to the halberd-wielding soldier at the gate of the mansion. Heifu also submitted his testimonials, biography, and conquest slips again.

The hundred generals on duty at the door looked surprised, and the seriousness on their faces disappeared in an instant. He said with a smile: "It turns out that you are the new Zuo Bing Cao Li! I have admired you for a long time! Please wait a moment, I will go and report."

Seeing him bowing and leaving, Heifu was a little confused. He had just arrived, why had he been "admired" for a long time?

He looked at Mitsuru: "What did you say to them?"

Man smiled and said, "Why should I speak? The heroic deeds of Lord Five Hundred have been spread throughout Nanjun for a long time. What's more, the people recommended by Lieutenant Li personally have been seen by everyone in the Lieutenant's Mansion. How can they be disrespectful?"

Through Man's dictation, Hei Fu learned that three days after taking office, Li You found an excuse to transfer Cao Shi, a left-wing soldier with no background, to the thief cao, and personally recommended Hei Fu to the county guard and meritorious officials...

Personal recommendation is also the way for Qin to appoint officials, but this involves taking huge risks. Because Qin law stipulates that if a person who is recommended commits a crime and neglects his duties before being promoted, the person who recommended him will also be held accountable. When Du Xian took a fancy to Heifu and asked him to be an official, he did not dare to recommend him personally. Instead, he asked the county magistrate to recruit him in a roundabout way.

Li You did this, as if he regarded Hei Fu as his first confidant, so the officials in the county and prefecture had long been curious to guess who Hei Fu was...

"So even though the five hundred masters haven't arrived yet, they are already famous in half the city." Man said.

"Now I'm really on board the Li family's pirate ship."

Heifu was helpless. Now, Li You became his leader. The two of them were tied tightly. One would be prosperous and the other would suffer. But isn't this what he expected? It’s nice to enjoy the shade under the big tree.

Sure enough, not long after, the gatekeeper came back and invited Hei Fu to come in.

This Junwei Mansion is worthy of being a corner of the Chu Palace in the past. It is a large scene, with white walls and red doors, a roof of blue bricks and black tiles, and lush banyan trees, tall and tall green bamboos and bananas. As we walked in, we saw that the house had several entrances. Each entrance was separated by a moon gate. Each courtyard should be an office courtyard. Walking along the corridor inward, there are numerous pavilions, meandering water pavilions, and shady trees along the way.

Without anyone to guide him, Hei Fu was afraid that he would get dizzy. At the same time, he secretly lamented that the kings of Chu State worked hard to plunder the people's wealth and build luxurious palaces, but in the end they made wedding clothes for the Qin officials. Why bother?

After a long circle, I finally arrived in front of a tall building. I raised my head and looked up, with the eaves raised. I saw a dozen halberd guards standing opposite each other in front of the open door, looking at Hei Fu curiously.

When Hei Fu arranged his clothes and took off his shoes at the door, he found a pair of pointed shoes inlaid with jade, which was extraordinary.

He didn't think much, walked up the stairs with his head held high, and after entering the hall, he saw Li You sitting in the middle. Li You was wearing black clothes and a high crown, and was talking to a young man in white dark clothes and a swallow-tailed crown. When he saw Hei Fu entering, he stopped talking, stood up with a laugh, and pointed at Hei Fu.

"Heifu, Heifu, you are finally here!"

Hei Fu immediately bowed down and said: "I am so virtuous and capable, but I am actually recommended by the county captain. I am really frightened. I am just a little late. I hope the county captain will forgive me!"

"You set off as soon as the letter arrived. What crime do you have?"

While talking, Li You helped Hei Fu up and introduced him: "Zi Yang, this is Hei Fu who helped me break out of Linyang and cross three hundred miles across Chu. He is also my left soldier Cao Shi!"

The crowned young man smiled and said, "I happened to meet Zuo Bing Cao Shi at the city gate. I never thought we were going the same way. I would have walked together if I had known."

Hei Fu said hurriedly: "How dare you?"

"Oh? You've seen it before. What a coincidence."

Li Youye pointed at the young man and introduced: "Hei Fu, this is the son of Wu Zaijun, the fifth official. Feng Jing, although he has just grown up, is smart and studious. He comes to Nanjun to be my clerk. You will wait. , he is a colleague!"