The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

Xun Zhen didn't wait too long, and Du Mai, Chen Bao and others came back one after another. Huang Zhong quickly prepared the meal, everyone washed the dust, sat in the front yard, and exchanged information with each other while eating.

Generally speaking, the chiefs and elders of each li in the pavilion are very respectful. A total of 50 people were gathered from the four li of Andingli, Nanpingli, Fanli and Chunli, nearly doubling from last year. Especially in Andingli, an extra 20 shi of rice grain was given out, "for Xun Jun to subsidize and practice." Chen Bao was in charge of Andingli. He relayed the long words there and learned vividly.

Du Mai was amazed and delighted, and said, "Among all the li in the pavilion, Andingli is the richest. In previous years, when preparing for pirates, he also asked him to give him some extra money, but he never got half a buck or a liter. What's the matter? Are you willing to donate? ..., Ah Bao, it's all your credit!"

Chen Bao was not greedy for merit, he smiled and said, "Where is my credit! It wasn't my request, but they took the initiative, and I was also very pleasantly surprised. The elder and the elders said, 'Xun Jun is upright and honest, and he has a little retribution. , it should be'. . . . Xun Jun has not been in the pavilion for a long time, but he has already been loved by the people, and it really makes the villains and others feel light on their faces."

Twenty stones of rice grains are not many, but in terms of one "li", they are not too small. A hundred-stone official's monthly salary is only eight hundred dollars and four stones and eight buckets of rice. Twenty stone of rice grain, on top of which a hundred stone official's salary for two months. And in Ruobizhi's army, the monthly ration of a soldier is about one stone and eight buckets on average, and twenty stone is enough for one "even" soldier in one month.

Xun Zhen thought: "'Upright and honest'? Did you mean the last time I refused to accept his bribe?" He smiled humbly, "I have just arrived, and I have neither prestige nor merit, so why would the people love me? 'What? You have been in the pavilion for a long time, and your prestige is high, especially Du Jun, who has captured the security of the robbers, and won the respect of the people. An Dingli is willing to give out 20 stone of rice grain, which is all due to you."

Du Mai and the others were praised. Although they knew that Xun Jun said beautiful words, they were also very happy, but Fan Shang had a bitter face and said, "The chief and elders of Andingli are good people, so let A Bao pick it up. It's cheap. The chief of Peipingli is a cunning old dog. He doesn't give Xunjun face, and makes me so annoyed! ... Hey, if I had known, I would have exchanged with you, A Bao, for you to go to Peipingli, and I to Andingli! "

Du Mai asked, "Is something wrong?"

"That old dog is saying that each family in the interior has to manage the gardens, repair the cellars, and also say that the interior walls are to be built, but one person is not willing to send more. I can say that he is only willing to send fifteen people. Fan Shang said annoyed, "My throat is smoking, and I won't pour a bowl of water!"

"Sixteen people last year, fifteen people this year? It's not much, but one less?" Du Mai, Chen Bao and others were extremely dissatisfied.

Chen Bao said to Xunzhen: "In the six li of the pavilion, Chunli has the least number of people, only about twenty households, and Anding, Nanping, Jinglao, and Fanli all have fifty or sixty households, and Beipingli has the most people, with more than a hundred households, four or five households. Hundred mouths. They rely on the large number of people among them. They have always been arrogant in the pavilion, and have never paid much attention to the people in the other li. From Nanpingli in the southernmost to Chunli in the northernmost, every li They have been bullied by them, especially in Chunli, where the two of them have fields next to each other, and fights over water and land take place almost every year.

"Every time there is a fight, the entire Beipingli is often dispatched. There are hundreds of people, men and women, young and old. I remember that the year before last, they even broke down the inner wall in Chunli! They almost beat the head of Chunli at that time. Die!... When you bully people, you go into battle, but when you prepare for bandits, only fifteen people go out?"

He was indignant: "To be honest, I've been dissatisfied with them for a long time, but I've never had an excuse to clean up! From a large li of more than 100 households, the people who come out are not as good as the stable li? What kind of reason is this!"

Xun Zhen and Chen Bao have similar personalities. Since I met Chen Bao, this was the first time I saw him angry. ——Even a good-natured person like Chen Bao was dissatisfied with Peipingli, which shows how unpopular Peipingli is in the pavilion.

Huang Zhongshun smoothed his throat, coughed twice, cleared his throat, put down the soup, and said, "Perhaps they are reluctant to send more people to participate in the pavilion's preparations because of their self-confidence?"

There are as many as fifty or sixty households in the stable villages, and as few as twenty households in Chunli. If there is a strong bandit attack, I am afraid that I will not be able to protect myself and will need to rely on the support of other villages in the pavilion. Kou" is more positive. But there are more than 100 households in Peiping, and at least 200 in Dingkou. Maybe they think that their own strength is enough to resist bandits and bandits, so they are not active in "preparing bandits".

Fan Shang said: "Old Huang is right, that's what they think. . . . Their lieutenant said in front of me. Last year, they prepared for a few months of pirates, and they struggled so badly, but it didn't work at all. Go on. Although there are a few thieves, they are only a few. Where is the need for so many people to prepare for bandits? They also said that if it wasn't for Xun Jun's first visit, they would not come out alone this year!"

Xun Zhen laughed: "So, I have to thank them."

Cheng Yan made a "bah", put down the wooden bowl, rolled up his sleeves, and said viciously: "Xunjun, I know the chief of Peiping, that he was raised by a little maid! Don't look at him being arrogant and domineering in front of others, isn't he? I boasted, but he never dared to stand up in front of me! ..., don't say anything, I'll go there tomorrow and see if he dares to be stubborn in his strengths!"

"This kind of thing can't be asked for. It is voluntary to prepare for pirates, and it can't be forced."

"So that's it?" Cheng Yan widened his eyes and was very unwilling, "He said that he was looking at 'Xun Jun's first arrival', but in fact he was bullying Xun Jun for the first time. If it fell on Xun Jun's face, it was also a fall. Our face, the words spread out, it's not good!"

Xun Zhen took the chopsticks and chopped lightly on the side of the bowl, pondering silently, thinking in her heart: "After I came to the pavilion, I detained Wu Gui, refused bribes and settled down, and treated Mother Xu kindly, plus my Xun's family. From my background, I thought I had little prestige in the pavilion, but now it seems that I am too optimistic."

Although it was said that it "cannot be forced", but he did not think so in his heart. Cheng Yan was right. Peipingli's actions clearly despised their own family. If they ignored them and did what they wanted, they would lose face. The key point was that it would be very detrimental to their "big plans" in the future. If others follow the same example, why do you want to stand in this pavilion and recruit the countryside?

He thought, "It's like this now, how should we deal with it?" Should Du Mai go there, or go there in person? He quickly made a decision, "It's useless for Fan Shang to go, and I'm afraid it will be the same for Du Mai. Forget it, I'll go there in person." What kind of person is he.

He had made up his mind and was about to speak, but he heard Mother Xu, who was seated, say, "In Peiping? Saburo, does your second brother recognize any of them?" Although it was only a few days, it was a habit for everyone to gather together for dinner. .

After Xun Zhen came back today, the first thing she did was to go to the backyard to greet Mother Xu. When Mother Xu asked him what he had been doing all day, he answered truthfully, so Mother Xu also knew about "recruiting people to prepare for bandits". thing.

Xu Ji put down the bowl and politely avoided the banquet and replied, "The people the second brother is dating are not very familiar to him. Most of them only know who they are, not their names, let alone where they are from. Are there any people from Peiping, my son? I really don't know."

"When your second brother is at home, people come and go all day, and you can't rest for a while. Maybe there are people in Peiping."

Chen Bao was smart and turned to look at Xunzhen's face. Seeing that he was quiet and peaceful, listening quietly, he immediately added with a smile, "I want to teach the old lady to know that Brother Zhong really knows people from Peiping. Last night, I came to Tingshe. Among the people who met the old lady were Kun Zhong, one was called Su Ze and the other was called Su Zheng, and they were among them."

Mother Xu said happily: "That would be great! ..., Saburo, you should go to Peiping now, and beg people, and ask them to say something to Xunlang."

"promise."

Xu's mother said to let him "go now", Xu Ji really "go now", without eating, he sat up straight from the seat and went to put on his shoes.

"How can this be made! Mom, how can I let Xiaojie do my business?" Xun Zhen got up from the mat in a hurry, grabbed Xu Ji, and prevented him from moving.

"Xun Lang, since you call me 'Amu', you are my son, and San Lang is also your younger brother. If the elder brother has something to do, the younger brother should help. Is there anything you can't do?" Seeing Xun Zhen blocking her, Xu's mother very unhappy.

"Having said that, Xiaojie is still young. Mom, you heard just now that the chief of Peiping is an unreasonable person..."

Mother Xu interrupted him: "Okay, you won't let Saburo go, and the concubine won't eat anymore. The concubine in your house will not live anymore. Abao, go and open the door of the prison, the concubine lives there. Go!" She pushed aside the wooden bowl and trembled to get up.

Xun Zhen had no choice but to go up to hold her up, she had to agree, and said, "The twilight is deep, it's almost night, even if you let Xiaojie go, don't be in a hurry! Mom, sit down first, and when we're done eating, let's go. Discuss well, and talk about it tomorrow. How?"

"No!" As soon as the old man became stubborn, no one could persuade him.

Xu Ji put on his shoes, bowed to everyone, and said to Xun Zhen, "Don't worry, eldest brother, I know the way and won't lose it!"

"Wait a minute, I'm with you!"

Mother Xu held Xun Zhen back, preventing him from moving, and said angrily, "Where are you going before the meal is finished?"

Xun Zhen couldn't help but wink at Chen Bao.

Chen Bao jumped up, put on his shoes, and said with a smile, "Let's go, I'll go with Saburo! Riding a horse, going back and forth is fast." Ji, "Sanlang, can you ride a horse?"

Xu Ji shook his head.

"Well, let's ride a horse, and I'll take you there."

Chen Bao led the horse out of the stable and took Xu Ji's hand. The two of them left the pavilion, stepped into the twilight, and went to Beiping.

Xun Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, she helped Xu's mother to sit down again, and said, "Mum, why are you doing this? I didn't meet with you, the second brother is not at home now, and I said it in Xiaojie, and I don't know the second brother's friend. It's so late, you said, why did you let him go to Peiping? Even if he did, he would always finish his meal first!  …, don't let me go with me!"

His few words were half complaining and half affectionate. Complaining was false, while affection was true.

"Although I'm old, I'm still not confused. Can I not understand my son? Zhonglang is all with some people, and I know it clearly. Then the Su family Kunzhong will definitely be able to help you." See Xunzhen After listening to her words, she let Xu Ji go to Beiping to find someone. Mother Xu turned her anger into joy and sat back on the seat. She was very happy and laughed. Even the wrinkles and folds on her forehead and cheek seemed to reveal a smile. meaning.

"Yes, mother, you are right!" Xun Zhen tried the wooden bowl, the soup inside was still warm, and handed it back to Mother Xu's hand, saying, "Sanlang has gone too, I will listen to you. Now. Mom, are you still angry? If you don't get angry, just eat your meal!" He said this with sincerity. When Mother Xu started to eat, he returned to the table.

With a smile on his face, he would say a few words to Xu's mother from time to time to persuade her to eat more, thinking in his heart: "If it wasn't for my mother to talk about it, I really didn't expect to take advantage of Xu Zhongzhi's situation. Xu Zhong's contacts are mostly Qingxia has a reputation in the countryside. If he hadn't left, he would have come forward in person, and maybe the licheng in Peiping would have a good face. But now, Xu Zhong has gone to Yangzhai, Xu Ji is a child who is not yet weak, and he Friends who don't know Xu Zhong, even if they go there, nine times out of ten, they will come back without success.... However, it's good to try. But if the results are not satisfactory, they can't be in front of the mother. Say it, so as not to irritate her again."

He treated Mother Xu kindly at first, but it was because of the drunkard's intention not to drink alcohol, but after contacting her, Mother Xu was kind and simple, especially when Xu Zhongye entered the pavilion last night, she would rather her son surrender to the crime, rather than "revenge for kindness" and ruin it Xun Zhen's life, people are not plants, who can be ruthless? Although Xun Zhen still had plans to "use Xu Zhong's prestige", she was also sincerely respectful to Xu's mother.

Also, his concerns were right. Xu Zhong has another reputation, and that reputation belongs to Xu Zhong. Although Xu Ji is his younger brother, he is only fifteen or sixteen years old, and he is only a half-old child. How many people will pay attention to it? Besides, as Xu Ji said, he didn't even know Xu Zhong's friends. At most, he had only met them, and they looked familiar. It was a matter of whether others could remember him, and how could they ask for help?

Not to mention, for "Li" Zhong, it is a very troublesome thing to "prepare people to prepare for bandits".

Everyone has their own homework to do. If they participated in the preparation of bandits, what about their own homework? Still have to rely on the help? How can I help in "Li"? It can only be that the "li chief" will come forward and organize other li people to do it for them. That is to say, for every additional person, there will be one more trouble for the "lichang", and one more trouble for the "inhabitants".

Even if the two "Su Family Kunzhong" recognize Xu Ji, they are willing to come forward and talk about it, but only two of them can talk about "the chief of the book"? Can you say move the whole "li"?

Xun Zhen thought it was unlikely.

...

Du Mai sat next to Xu's mother, and watched the whole process of Xu's mother calling Xu Ji to go to Peipingli, and thoughtfully. Inadvertently, his eyes met Xun Zhen, he hurriedly turned away, lowered his head, and took a sip of soup.

He thought in his heart: "I think that in Andingli, in the past years, a grain of rice would not come out, but this year, he took the initiative to donate 20 shi. But in just three or five days, Mother Xu treated Xunjun like a parent and child. The arrogant man in Zhongxiang, who dares to kill people in the city, is willing to bow down to him. Xun Jun seems to be gentle, since he came to the pavilion, he has never seen him angry, nor has he used any great means, inadvertently. I have already obtained so many benefits, and my methods are really brilliant.  … Not only is it far superior to us, but even the head of the pavilion, Zheng Jun, is far inferior.”

Thinking about this, and thinking back to when Xun Zhen first came, he still thought that he was an old man in the pavilion, and he had a little intention of relying on the old and betraying the old. Have a better day.

Again, I remembered that when Qin Gan and Liu Ru came, no matter how he behaved in various ways, Qin and Liu never looked at him, but they chatted and laughed closely with Xun Zhen, and the dialogue between the three of them was both citing scriptures and discussing. Celebrity, in comparison, he is like a douchebag, even if he stretches his ears to the maximum, he still doesn't understand at all.

Then he remembered that because he was afraid that Wu Gui would leak the news that Xu Zhong had come to Tingshe, he tossed and turned and couldn't sleep all night, but in the eyes of Xun Zhen, this was not a problem at all. .

He was not disappointed.

He was lost again, and felt that he was ridiculous and over-confident. No matter from his background, from his conversation, knowledge, or even courage, he asked himself who was stronger than Xun Zhen? In other words, is there anything better than Xun Zhen? He asked himself, and finally found sadly: none of them. If Xun Zhen is heaven, he is earth, a world of difference.

Looking at Xun Zhen and Xu's mother secretly again, he remembered that when Xu Zhong and his cronies came last night, if it wasn't for Xun Zhen, he was afraid that they would all have been killed by the sword. He was frightened for a while.

Although he still didn't understand why Xun Zhen was a son of a famous family, but did not go to work in the county, but instead came to Fanyang to be a small pavilion, but the initial idea of ​​​​relying on the old and selling the old gradually disappeared.

He believed that he was not as good as Xun Zhen, and his original plan failed, so he felt that the loss was ridiculous, but in fact, this was not the most ridiculous, the most ridiculous thing was that Xun Zhen didn't know about his series of psychological changes. Xun Zhen didn't even know how disappointed, ridiculous, and lost he was at this moment.

...

Xu Ji and Chen Bao came back quickly, Xun Zhen and the others had not finished their meal before they came back.

Two when we went, five when we came back.

The three people who came with them, one in their twenties, one in their thirties, and the last one was in Lent.

Chen Bao introduced: "This is Su Hu, the chief of Peipingli."

The man in his forties accompanied the smiling face, bowed forward, said nothing, knelt down and said to Xun Zhen, "In the afternoon, the villain was confused, and I didn't make a clear estimate, only fifteen people came out. After Fan-Jun left, I calculated it carefully." He glanced at his companion secretly, and then said, "..., if there are ten more people, there should be no problem."

I heard the lijian named "Su Hu" say this, everyone, look at me, I look at you, with different expressions.

Fan Shang was the most annoyed. In the afternoon, he saw with his own eyes the tough attitude of the "Su Hu" chief. He never expected that just because Xu Ji had gone there, he would be able to "get ten more people" when he turned his face. ". First of all, he felt that he was not relieved, but that his face was dull.

Cheng Yan "chi" sneered out.

It was already night and the night was hazy. Huang Zhong lit a torch and lit the courtyard.

Xun Zhen noticed that his two companions seemed to know each other, they should be the Su family brothers who had been here last night, helped Su Hu up, and said with a smile: "Su Jun, I should have gone to visit earlier, just because I have been busy and have no time to spare. I've been famous for you for a long time, and we finally meet tonight."

Su Hu was frightened and said: "How dare you work Xunjun! If you want to talk about visiting, it should be me who came to visit Xunjun."

"Today Fan-jun went to Guilizhong,..."

"Yes, yes, today Fanjun went this afternoon." Su Hu slammed his head and said remorsefully, "It's all my fault that I was confused at the time, thinking that there would be fourteen or five people at most. After Fanjun left. , the more I think about it, the more I feel like I can't make it through, so please don't bother Fan-Jun for a trip, so don't delay Xun-Jun's important affairs.  …, so ~www.wuxiahere.com~ calculated it carefully, and added a dozen more. People are no problem!"

He cautiously asked Xun Zhen, "..., Xun-Jun, there are twenty-five people in total, is that enough?"

He added: "On the way I just came here, I heard from Chen Jun that for this 'preparation', 20 shi of rice grains came out of Andingli. Although we are not rich, Xun Jun's 'preparation' is for the purpose of 'preparation'. For the sake of the whole pavilion, we can’t be left behind, more is not good, less is okay, I discussed it with the elders in the house and decided to serve the pavilion’s ten stones of rice grains.”

After he finished speaking, he asked Xun Zhen in a rather unconvincing manner: "Xun Jun, do you think it's okay?"

From fifteen people directly to twenty-five people, plus ten stones of rice grain. Xun Zhen said in his heart: "It seems that I guessed wrong. Xu Ji's run this time is really useful." He was very satisfied with the result. Seeing Su Hu's trembling look, he decided to comfort him. After all, as the chief of Peiping, Su Hu will have a long time to deal with in the future.

He smiled and said: "Before Su Jun came, I also talked to Huang Gong and Du Jun, although 'Bei Kou' is for the safety of the pavilion, this kind of thing cannot be forced. Jing. Although there are many people in Guili, the more people there are, the more troublesome things will be. I have nothing to say about how many people can be sent, and whether we can provide more rice. !"

The night wind was very cold, and Xun Zhen still felt uncomfortable wearing a robe, but Su Hu was dripping with sweat on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, yes. . . . How about thirty people and twenty shi of rice?"

Xun Zhen was stunned for a moment, then repeated: "Thirty people, twenty stone grains of rice?"

Seeing his hesitation, Su Hu couldn't hold it any longer. With a "thump", he knelt down again and said loudly with a weeping voice: "Xunjun, at most thirty stones of rice grain. This is the limit in this book, really. The only thing is that you can't add any more!" He kowtowed again and again, like pounding garlic.