The house of Xuelian's family was a house with a wooden frame. There were six courtyards in the whole house, but only two courtyards were in the front and back. Four of the courtyards were connected to the main house, so each courtyard was connected to a courtyard. The whole courtyard was square, like a big seal. In Fengshui, it was called "One Seal".
This house was not the ancestral property of the Yang family. Xuelian's mother remarried her cousin, so how could the Yang family give her the ancestral property as a dowry? This was a house bought by the husband and wife after they made a fortune in business. The ancestors of the original owner of this house were officials, but they had declined in this generation. The "One Seal" house did not protect the descendants of this family from becoming officials and making a fortune. Now, it became a family of merchants.
Xuelian's biological father's surname was Chen, and his first name was Dayu. After Chen Dayu bought this dilapidated old house, he renovated the main house. Now, the main house with two courtyards in the middle was his family's residence.
Xuelian stealthily led Yang Fan to the courtyard of the second courtyard. They took a detour from the side courtyard, so the servants in the house saw them. Although they thought Yang Fan was a stranger, they didn't think much of it when they saw their Miss leading them.
Xuelian arrived at the courtyard of the second courtyard of the main residence. She poked her head out to take a look under the cover of the pillars and the flowers and trees in the courtyard. She turned around and waved at Yang Fan. Yang Fan quickly caught up with her.
There were a few rattan chairs in the courtyard. From Yang Fan's point of view, he saw an old man wearing a white robe with a white turban on his head and white leggings. There were red, yellow, orange, and pink patterns on the corners of his clothes and trousers. The old man looked really old. His hair and beard were white, and the wrinkles on his face were especially thick. There were two red earrings on his ears. As he spoke, they shook violently, making his wrinkled face look even thinner.
Xun Er was sitting on the rattan chair beside him. She looked around and ignored her father's conversation. However, she had probably been reprimanded by her father for leaving the banquet without permission. Although her face was filled with impatience, she did not stand up and leave. Xuelian's biological father, Chen Dayu, was sitting with his back facing Yang Fan, so he couldn't see his face for a while.
When Yang Fan saw this man, he felt a little strange. He was already so old. Although he looked energetic, how could his daughter be so young? According to age, it would be more appropriate to say that Xun Er was his granddaughter. However, when he thought about the attitude of these leaders towards having more wives and concubines, Yang Fan felt relieved.
This white-clothed old man was naturally the leader of the White Barbarians. Although he was old and his figure wasn't tall, his voice was extremely loud and clear. Moreover, he spoke in standard Chinese, "Hey! This old man has always felt that the officials here are greedy and black-hearted. I thought that an angel from the imperial court would be a little different. I didn't expect that he would be the same kind of trash, or even more black-hearted than them! "
The voice of the White Barbarian leader was extremely loud. If one couldn't hear what he was saying, they would think that he was quarreling with someone. He grabbed the teapot and fiercely gulped down a mouthful of tea. He turned his head and said to his daughter, "Add more salt, it's too bland!"
The leader handed the teapot to his daughter, then turned to Chen Dayu and said in a loud voice, "This old man heard that the newly arrived Provincial Governor Zhang is a good and honest official. It's just that I haven't had any dealings with him before. When I went to welcome the imperial envoy today, I didn't see him. It was said that he had gone out of the provincial capital on official business and hadn't returned yet. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen him either. He must also have an undeserved reputation."
Chen Dayu said, "Why do you say that, Elder Xun? This imperial envoy has just arrived in Mengzhou, and today, the officials of Mengzhou are holding a banquet to welcome him. He wouldn't ask for money from Elder Xun in public, right? "
The leader spat and said, "You, you'll never be able to imagine how thick-skinned and black-hearted those officials are. He had just arrived in Mengzhou and already asked for a bribe from me in front of so many officials. Not only did he ask for a bribe, he even did it in a righteous and open manner!
When that angel with the surname Huang heard that this old man was the leader of a tribe in Yaozhou, he immediately smiled and said that he had long heard that Yaozhou was rich in gold sand and mountain gold. The current empress believes in Buddhism and is the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. She wants me to cast a pure gold Maitreya Buddha that he wants to bring back to the capital to present to the empress. Pah! It sounds nice, but in the end, it will still end up in his own pocket. "
Chen Dayu frowned and said, "It's not easy to deal with him using this kind of pretense. If he only wants it, there's no harm in casting a small gold Buddha and giving it to him. But since he said he wanted to present it to the empress, it won't look good if the gold Buddha is small. This person is a little too greedy. Did Elder Xun agree to it? "
The old man snorted and said, "If it's really close, maybe this old man will agree to it. But guess how big the gold Buddha he wants? "
The old man's hands were like hugging Tai Chi and drew a big circle in an exaggerated manner. He said, "Here! It's just this big! He said he wants to cast such a big gold Buddha so that this old man can show his loyalty to the empress. This old man's clansmen have to dig in the mountains and dig in the sand. If they don't eat, drink, or wear anything for a whole five years, they would only be able to accumulate so much gold. He really dares to ask for it! "
Chen Dayu said in shock, "He wants such a big gold Buddha? Heavens! He really dares to ask, then … did Elder Xun agree to it? "
The old man glared and said, "Agree? How can I agree? Our entire clan, men and women, don't eat or drink? Do we all go with our butts bare? Nanzhao and Tubo often send troops to harass our clan. Are we not going to buy or forge our armors and weapons anymore? As if this old man would agree to it! This old man didn't say anything and just lifted his butt and left! "
Yang Fan thought, So this old man is called Xun Qi. Xun … seems to be a common surname in the southwest.
Chen Dayu sighed and said, "Sigh! With Elder Xun's temper, he doesn't know how to hold back. If you were to offend him, you might bring trouble to yourself. Even if Elder Xun doesn't agree to it, you should at least put it in a more tactful manner. Now that you've embarrassed him in front of everyone, he will probably hate you to the core and find trouble with you in the future. "
Xun Qi sneered coldly, "What future? Hearing his inhumane words, the old man immediately turned around and left. But the next moment, he said something along the lines of 'I came to Jiannan to investigate a case of rebellion'. Do you think this old man can't tell that he's trying to intimidate the tiger? "
Chen Dayu became even more worried upon hearing those words. He sighed and complained about Xun Qi's temper.
Xun Qi glanced at him and said nonchalantly, "You don't have to worry about this old man. Here, this old man is the local tyrant! Even if this old man gives him face, he's still an imperial envoy. If this old man doesn't give him face, he's just a fart! "
From the looks of it, Xun Qi really didn't think much of Huang Jingrong. After complaining for a while, he changed the topic. Seeing that there was no more news to listen to, Yang Fan gestured to Xue Lian and the two of them left silently.
As Yang Fan walked away, he thought, That fellow Huang Jingrong sure is greedy. Just because he's an imperial envoy, he's gotten carried away. These chieftains are all arrogant and unruly people, so who would be afraid of him? However, if he only wants to plunder under the guise of investigating criminals, then it'll be easy to deal with. As long as he doesn't kill innocent people, we can slowly plan other things.
Xue Lian followed Yang Fan away and saw that he was deep in thought. At first, she endured it, but when they reached Yang Fan's residence and he didn't say anything, Xue Lian couldn't help but tug on his sleeve and ask in a small voice, "Brother Yang, you've seen Uncle Xun's appearance. If Sister Xun Er's little brother looks like him, do you think he'll be very handsome?"
"En! Ah? "
Yang Fan came to his senses and hurriedly nodded, "That's right, that's right! Just by looking at Uncle Xun Qi's appearance, I can tell that when he was young, he must have been elegant and handsome! If Miss Xun Er's elder brother looks exactly like your father, then Miss Xue Lian will definitely find a handsome son-in-law, an ideal Mr. Right, haha … "
"Is that so?"
Miss Xue Lian beamed with joy, "If Sister Xun Er and Brother Yang say so, then the person I'm going to marry is really not bad!"
… …
In the Feng Prefecture Governor's manor, Huang Jingrong picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip. Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty, he tasted almost all the flavors at once. He frowned and really couldn't stand the taste of the tea, so he casually put it to the side, his expression still somewhat resentful.
Governor Luo smiled, "Imperial Censor Huang came from the capital and doesn't know the situation in this prefecture. Those barbarian leaders belong to the imperial court in name, but in reality, they are like independent kings. They are used to being unreasonable and don't know the laws of the imperial court or the dignity of an imperial envoy. Imperial Censor Huang, don't lower yourself to their level. "
Governor Luo's name was Luo Shudao. He was a third-rank secondary class military general and was more than one rank higher than Huang Jingrong. However, for those who came from the capital, no matter how high or low their official rank was, the officials outside would not dare to easily offend them. Even if they were a seventh-ranked official, they would often circle around the Emperor. Who knows, they might even be able to pass a message to the Emperor. The Imperial Censor was infamous, so Luo Shudao didn't dare to take it lightly.
Speaking of which, Feng Prefecture was a Jimi prefecture, so Luo Shudao didn't need to be so afraid of the imperial court officials. Jimi prefecture referred to the border prefectures that didn't pay taxes to the imperial court. Local affairs were basically autonomous and they only accepted the imperial court's administrative rule. The territory of the Tang dynasty was very large and there were many such Jimi prefectures. There were more than 860 of them, far more than the prefectures in the interior that the imperial court could directly control.
The Governor of Jimi prefecture, the provincial governor, and other local military and political officials were all held by the local armed leaders who represented these places when they submitted to the imperial court. Afterwards, their positions were hereditary and passed down from generation to generation, just like the headmen of the chieftains. Luo Shudao was no exception. He was passed down from father to son and from son to grandson, generation after generation until now. These kinds of officials mostly lacked respect for the imperial court.
However, Feng Prefecture had submitted to the imperial court for a long time, so the degree of assimilation was slightly greater. Luo Shudao's family was no longer the same as when his ancestors were the Governor of a prefecture and the leader of a clan, as well as the leader of a tribe with many valiant private soldiers. They had already degenerated into a thoroughly bureaucratic family, so their reliance on the imperial court grew stronger and stronger.
Not long ago, the provincial governor of Feng Prefecture died of illness. Because he didn't have a son, his nephews all wanted to inherit his position. In the end, the imperial court issued an edict and sent a second-rate official with the surname Zhang to this place to serve as the provincial governor. For the imperial court, this was an attempt to send a second-rate official to further control Jimi prefecture.
Once this second-rate provincial governor was stationed, the hereditary provincial governors would become history. From now on, every provincial governor would be appointed by the imperial court. This kind of infiltration was also a threat to the hereditary Governor Luo, but he didn't have the courage to resist the imperial court and make decisions for the provincial governor's family.
Now, facing this imperial envoy, Huang Jingrong, Luo Shudao was somewhat fearful and even wanted to curry favor with him. Seeing Huang Jingrong's unhappy expression, Luo Shudao said: "Xunqi is a rough and uncultured person from the mountains. Imperial Censor Huang, please don't take his offense to heart. Imperial Censor has just arrived at Feng Prefecture, it's more important for you to rest and recuperate for the time being. As for that Xunqi, I'll ask him to apologize to you another day! "
"There's no need!"
Huang Jingrong suddenly calmed down. He smiled at Luo Shudao and said: "I heard that Yaozhou is rich in gold, so I had a strange thought and wanted to persuade him to present a golden Buddha statue to Your Majesty's favor. It was originally a good intention, but he refused to accept it. This imperial censor is here to investigate the case of Liu Ren's rebellion. I hope Governor Luo can cooperate. "
Hearing that he wasn't going to pursue the matter any further, Luo Shudao secretly heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly agreed. Huang Jingrong smiled slightly. He had already made up his mind: I'll definitely implicate that ungrateful Xunqi in the case of Liu Ren's rebellion. I'll take his dog's head to appease this hatred!
Huang Jingrong wasn't very familiar with the situation in the southwest and didn't know just how much power these tribal headmen, who dressed like old farmers in the countryside, had. In his eyes, these headmen were no different from the rich country bumpkins. After dealing with this Xunqi, he could kill the chicken to warn the monkey. At that time, gold, jewels, and jewels would naturally roll in.
As he chatted and laughed with Luo Shudao, he seemed to already see Xunqi's head falling to the ground. Those headmen, who looked like country bumpkins, were all crying and shouting to give him money and women …
… …
After Yang Fan settled down in Chen Dayu's home, he strolled around the streets to familiarize himself with the local customs and to inquire about Huang Jingrong's movements.
The small city wasn't large. A fart from an official could spread throughout the entire city in a short time. The news that Huang Jingrong's welcoming banquet had ended on bad terms and that Xunqi's headman had left in a rage had already spread. Many of the townspeople were discussing it enthusiastically. Yang Fan also stood to the side and listened to them talk.
Hearing that Huang Jingrong had already been taken into the Governor's Office and settled down, Yang Fan was certain that nothing would happen today. Huang Jingrong had just arrived. No matter how anxious he was to act, he had to first communicate with the local officials and obtain their assistance. Huang Jingrong had only brought a few personal bailiffs from the capital. They wouldn't be able to do much with just a few people.
However, Huang Jingrong wouldn't drag things out for too long. Given this ruthless and thunderous style, if there was no movement in Feng Province within three days, it would prove that Huang Jingrong's patrol this time was only for wealth and didn't want to kill people. This was because their investigation of Liu Ren's rebellion was something that was fabricated out of thin air. It was impossible for them to investigate in detail and find real evidence.
Yang Fan decided to stay here for three days. If he didn't see any bloody actions from Huang Jingrong within these three days, he would immediately leave to see what the imperial censor in charge of the Liu Ren in Qianzhong was doing.
Outside the side gate of the Chen Estate, Liu Junfan had just returned. He had just chatted with the old man of the Chen Estate and had gotten some information from him. He had already determined that Yang Fan was a jianghu swindler. Now that this swindler had appeared in such a remote place, it was obvious that he had committed a crime and was wanted by the court.
The words of the old man of the Chen Estate also confirmed this point. He was indeed a fugitive!
That was enough. Could a fugitive with no roots in this place escape the palm of his hand?
Liu Junfan left with a cold smile. He had made up his mind that he would inflict all the humiliation and pain he had suffered over the years on Yang Fan!
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