Chapter 14 Section 14 Why can't you go to the streets at night?

In the Longmen Inn not far from the Pingyuan County Government, Zeng Guofan and others rested. The huge Longmen Inn is also deserted, with less than half of the rooms occupied by people.Changshun and Taizhuang scratched their heads with joy, because all the inns they walked this way were full, and they were so crowded that they never had a good night's sleep.Zeng Guofan became more and more strange. The bearer was tired after walking for a long time, so he opened his room and lay down on the bed after a simple meal.Zeng Guofan and the other three ordered four dishes of two meat, two vegetables, and a hodgepodge from Shandong. Today, Changshun and Taizhuang specially asked the store to boil an extra catty of wine, so that Taizhuang, which is easy to eat pig's trotters, also ordered. They went to a deli on the street and bought eight fat pig's trotters, and the three of them ate, drank and chatted.

Zeng Guofan couldn't drink alcohol because of ringworm, and the ringworm on his body broke out when he drank alcohol, so he could only gnaw on pig's trotters slowly.More and more people are eating, and the shopkeepers are talking more. "Looking at this master's behavior, if the younger one guesses well, he should be the owner of a big shop." The shopkeeper asked Zeng Guofan with a smile. Zeng Guofan smiled slightly, but said nothing.Chang Shun said at this time: "Shopkeeper, what do you think of me?" The storekeeper tilted his head to look at Changshun and Taizhuang, and seeing the two of them devouring their food, he smiled all over his face: "I'm sure, the two masters are this uncle's buddies, how about it? Good guess! "One sentence made all three of Zeng Guofan laugh.

"Just ask the shopkeeper," Zeng Guofan put down his chopsticks and said, "This Pingyuan County is very peaceful. We passed by the county yamen, but we didn't see a single person who filed a lawsuit; There are long queues. The whole country is like Pingyuan County, which is really a peaceful atmosphere for the country and the people!" "Huh!" Some of the people who ate did not know whether it was intentional or unintentional, and even snorted. Zeng Guofan followed the prestige and saw a middle-aged man in his forties, with a dark complexion, one big and one small eyes half-closed, a full beard, wearing a broken felt hat, biting his hand vigorously. The roll of pancakes, a look of perplexity.When chewing, the two ears also move.

Zeng Guofan stood up and greeted with a smile: "Brother, how about eating together?" The "broken felt hat" looked at Zeng Guofan vigilantly, and said coldly: "Thank you, I have a mouth for pancakes, and I can't eat beef and pig's trotters! If I am from Bashu, Sichuan, I can eat big pancakes without a hitch." Why come to Pingyuan to be boarded every day!" The shopkeeper hurriedly said: "Guests, don't worry about it. If this word is really spread, you will never be able to leave Pingyuan County. Do you think Pingyuan is still the same as before?"

Seeing that the "broken felt hat" stopped talking, the shopkeeper turned around and said to the crowd: "After eating and drinking, everyone should rest early. In Pingyuan County, we clear the street as soon as it gets dark. If you hit the head, you will be punished with a board." You have nothing to do with money, and you are being taken advantage of. My family has opened an inn in Pingyuan for three generations, and I have never deceived anyone." Zeng Guofan and Changshun looked at each other, neither of them said anything, they sat down and ate sullenly, each full of their own thoughts.After eating, Zeng Guofan lay down on the bed in the room, and said to Chang Shun: "Master Chang, it's rare to come to Pingyuan. I heard that Liu Xuande, the uncle of the Great Han Emperor, once served as a county magistrate here. Should we go shopping?" Shall we take a stroll?"

Chang Shun stood up and said, "It's still the old rule, Taizhuang looks after the luggage, and I'll go shopping with my grandfather." Walking out of the gate of the inn, Zeng Guofan was surprised. Sure enough, there were people in the yamen wearing soap clothes and trousers patrolling the streets on the street. Apart from these people, there was no commoner in sight.It was just dark, which is the time for people to hang out after dinner.For example, in the capital, it is the busiest moment.He and Changshun glanced at each other, walked slowly to the street, and soon three or five yamen servants surrounded him from different directions.

Among them, a young yamen servant who was running like flying came to Zeng Guofan first, put the arresting chain on the heads of the two, and said in a high-pitched voice with joy: "This time, there is finally rice for the pot, thank you two masters!" It's time! Let's go back to the yamen with the uncle." Zeng Guofan was about to speak, when he saw four more fat and big yamen servants approaching, panting, one of them pointed at the one who arrived first, and said in a low voice, "It's not righteous to eat alone, brothers and sisters will share equally!" The other three hurriedly said : "Naturally split equally! Why bother with him!"

The little yamen servant who arrived first said in a sharp voice: "I caught these two, how can I divide them equally? How did you ever give me what you caught! Four masters, let the younger ones take care of these two." Let’s go once! You eat dry food, but I can’t eat a bowl of porridge?” "Let you be a bird!" A tall yamen servant knocked the one who arrived first to the ground with a punch, and then took off the chains around the necks of Zeng Guofan and Changshun, and slammed them on the ground, angrily said: "Listen, these two fat guys were caught by four of us, it's none of your business! I'll count to three, get out!"

The thin and dry little yamen servant quickly got up, put his hands on his head and fled in embarrassment. Chang Shun said with a smile at this time: "You guys are arguing and arguing, and I'm confused! There should be a reason for arresting people, right?!" The tall man put the chain in his hand on the necks of the two of them first, and said: "Put it on first, and then I will show you the reason. My Pingyuan County is the most peaceful county in Shandong Province, and there are officials in the lobby. Where's the proclamation!" He took out a crumpled piece of paper, stuffed it into Changshun's hand and said, "Let's read it as you go. Zhang Laowai has always been business-like, so I'm not embarrassing."

Changshun unfolded the paper and presented it to Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan saw it and wrote: After reading the notice, Zeng Guofan thought, "No wonder you can't see the refugees and the common people in Pingyuan. The refugees dare not go to Pingyuan. The common people don't want to go to the city and cause trouble." Chang Shun said loudly: "Master, it's okay if we open our eyes in the lobby. The place where Uncle Liu used to sit must be the same place." Zeng Guofan smiled. Knowing that Changshun understood Uncle Liu Huang as Uncle Liu, he took advantage of the situation and said, "If you don't want to think about it, are we up to you?"

The four yamen servants brought Zeng Guofan and Changshun into the courtroom of the county yamen with a smile.Although the hall is not very big, it is clean and tidy; a gold plaque with the words "Mirror hanging high" is hung directly opposite, and various instruments of torture are placed on the ground.Near the east wall, more than a dozen criminals were already kneeling waiting for trial, and more than a dozen large candles lit the hall as brightly as day. Zeng Guofan was puzzled, other yamen were busy day and night, but this Pingyuan County was busy day and night. Seeing the sweat in the main hall of that county, he knew it had been very busy for a while. Zeng Guofan and Changshun were dragged to the base of the wall by the yamen servants to kneel with other criminals.Chang Shun, who came out of Da Nei, still felt awkward and didn't want to kneel. He woke up after being punched by the big yamen servant, so he had to kneel down obediently next to Zeng Guofan, muttering, "My lord kneels to the sky, kneels to the emperor!" , You have to kneel when you enter a small county government office, what is this?" Zeng Guofan stabbed him once before he shut up and raised his head to watch the grandpa try the case. The grandpa's trial of the case is also different from other yamen, he doesn't ask anything, he just throws a lottery.The yamen servants didn't go to pick up the lottery, they just hit the board when the prisoner was knocked down.Every person commits twenty blows, no more and no less, and then draws and bets, and then the next one.It's really neat, concise and clear, which opened Zeng Guofan's eyes. After a while, it was Zeng Guofan's turn.The grandpa was about to throw the lottery, when two yamen servants suddenly walked in from the door, they went straight to the lobby, and whispered in the ear of the grandpa one by one: "The one that the adults saw last night, the younger ones brought it here, please show it to me, my lord." Exit." I don't care about anyone committing crimes in the hall, just like at home. The grandpa blushed instantly, and while taking off his official uniform, he shouted: "Master Li, replace me!" Throwing the official uniform and official hat on the case, he followed the two yamen servants to go downstairs happily. Immediately, a person turned out from the back hall, with small eyes, purple beard and bald forehead, needless to say, it was Master Li.But seeing that Mr. Li slowly put on the official uniform, put on the official hat, and straightened it with his hands, he sat down in a grandiose manner and began to try the case, looking confident. A stick was thrown at Zeng Guofan's feet, and two wolf-like yamen servants held Zeng Guofan up, and one of them whispered in Zeng Guofan's ear, "If you take five taels, you won't be beaten. Seeing how weak you are, look at it. You know you are a scholar, so you can pay five taels more. Twenty boards are enough to feed you for half a year." Zeng Guofan said: "I admit it, let's get rid of it." The two men ran up to the hall, took a piece of paper and a pen, and said, "Let's draw a charge." Zeng Guofan looked at the paper carefully, and saw that it read: "The criminal has violated the notice of the main hall of Pingyuan County and automatically pleaded guilty. A fine of ten taels of silver, and an exemption of five taels of silver, a total of fifteen taels." Zeng Guofan drew the pledge, and the yamen guard took him aside and asked, "Are you going to pick it up now or let the men get it?" Zeng Guofan was taken aback, and asked, "Is there any difference?" The yamen servant smiled and said, "It's 15 liang now, and it will be released in court. If you want the body and bones of Lord Lao to go with you, you will have to spend an extra liang of silver. This is the rule of our Pingyuan county government. But Well, if you want to listen to the young man, you should spend an extra tael of silver and ask the master to accompany you. If you really release you in court, you will be arrested within ten steps of the yamen. Come in the second time , what you spend is thirty taels!" Zeng Guofan said: "I'm sorry to bother you to tell the hall that my fellow will not be beaten, please come with us to get the money." Several people were walking on the street, and Zeng Guofan suddenly felt a sense of relief that he had never felt before, as if he had left the Temple of Yama.Zeng Guofan said to the yamen servant who was following him: "Brother, like your old man, is there any extra benefit in catching someone who breaks the law?" The yamen servant gritted his teeth and said: "You two don't look like locals, so let me tell you, the yamen doesn't pay us salaries, and the entire yamen, including the master, has thirty or so people relying on this income to support their families. To tell you the truth, after a year, by coincidence, this item alone has an income of one hundred and eighty taels." "So much!" Zeng Guofan was taken aback, "It has caught up with the income of the seventh-rank officials in Beijing. Then how much can your great-grandfather get?" The yamen servant looked around and saw no one, so he stretched out a finger and said, "It will definitely not be less than this number!" Even Changshun was surprised this time: "What, can you get one thousand taels?" "One thousand taels?" The yamen clerk curled his lips, "One thousand taels will not cost my grandfather tens of thousands to take on such an irresponsible job. I'm sure, it's called one hundred thousand taels!" This time Zeng Guofan was stunned, and he asked in a low voice Yamen servant: "According to what my little brother said, the government and the Tao should know about this. Shouldn't your grandfather be in prison?" The yamen servant smiled and said, "The governor of Shandong is a relative of my great-grandfather. What's more, my great-grandfather's money can't be taken alone. It has to be divided into half. Let alone the government, the road, and the governor, my great-grandfather has backers in Beijing! Like my great-grandfather I’m afraid you won’t be able to find another one like this in the whole country! There are sixteen or seven alternates in Shandong Guang’s fourth grade, which ones are too poor! Some are so poor that they sell their trousers!” Chang Shun grinned and said, "It's just that you dare to fish for money with bad hands! I'm afraid it's not as good as that He Shen?" The yamen servant tilted his neck and argued with Changshun: "I don't know who He Shen is, I only know that an official like my grandfather can make money from even the poorest land, that's his ability! If you want to recommend my grandpa to Beijing for an introduction, you won’t be able to get a fifth- and sixth-rank top hat when you come back! For an official like this, the servants will follow suit!" After talking, they had already arrived at the door of the inn, and the three of them walked into the guest room.Zeng Guofan paid the silver and sent the smiling yamen servant away. Just as he was about to close the door, the shopkeeper walked into the room. "Several guest officials, don't listen to the advice of the little one, have you lost your money?" The storekeeper said in a low voice, "My Pingyuan County is no better than other places. It will be fine if you leave Pingyuan County. Cough, why bother." Shaking his head and pushing the door then go.Zeng Guofan quickly waved his hands: "Shopkeeper, come here, let's have a chat." The shopkeeper is a person who can't stay idle. Seeing Zeng Guofan's sincere invitation, he said: "Guest officer, wait a moment, let me make a big pot of tea, drink it and say how nourishing it is!" Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "That's fine, the tea money is mine." After a while, the shopkeeper came in with a tea set, followed by Xiaoer; seeing the lively room, the "broken felt hats" who had lunch also squeezed in.Zeng Guofan asked the waiter in the shop to pour a cup of tea for the "broken felt hat" and said, "Looking at the way my brother eats, it seems that I have violated the rules in Pingyuan County, too?" The shopkeeper hurriedly said: "It's not just a violation of the rules! This guest officer used to be two brothers and sisters, but now, even his sister has joined in. This guest officer went to the county government every day to ask for someone, and he was beaten ten times." How many times! Cough!" "Broken Felt Hat" just sat motionless and said nothing. Zeng Guofan said: "Brother, don't hold back what you have to say, just talk about it to make you feel better, just talk about it. Although it won't help much, talking about it can brighten things up, right?" The shopkeeper also persuaded: "Guest officer, it's not a problem if you are always like this, maybe you can feel better after talking about it, maybe everyone can give you some advice!" The eyes of the "broken felt hat" were filled with tears, and he choked up for a long time before speaking slowly.