Cui Jiong was sweating instantly.
Ever since Zhang Jingyuan, the former county magistrate, lingered on the sick bed and entrusted him with full power to handle the county government affairs, he was used to going in and out of the county government office like walking in the backyard of his own family. How could he think of a report? I came here in a hurry this morning, and I forgot about it for a moment, not even the porter. This is great, just caught the new official!
He lowered his head, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind, and finally knelt down on one knee and said, "Your Excellency taught you the lesson. It's the subordinate who overstepped."
Tao Mo was startled, and was about to ask why he knelt down when he saw Lao Tao coming in with a few people, and called out, "Old Tao, what did you do so early in the morning?"
Cui Jiong felt uncomfortable when he saw that he left himself here and ignored him, but cared about his servants. His qualifications in Tanyang County are longer than any previous county magistrate, and he is a real local boss. Which county magistrate's new appointment is not to win over him, lest he make trouble below and make them unstable. It just so happened that this came back as a thorn, and the new official gave him a big blow when he took office. Well, since you are the first grader, don't blame me for the fifteenth grade!
He has already begun to think about how to retaliate for a while.
Old Tao entered the hall and saw a person kneeling on the ground, he couldn't help being surprised and said: "Who is this?"
Tao Mo said: "The history of the county, Cui Jiong."
Cui Jiong's face turned red. After doing canon history for so long, it was the first time he knelt on the ground and was visited by people.
Old Tao asked in surprise, "Why are you kneeling on the ground?"
Tao Mo honestly shook his head and said, "I don't know either."
Cui Jiong snorted coldly in his heart.
Lao Tao knew that there must be a reason, but he couldn't ask face-to-face, so he said: "Don't help Cui Dianshi get up yet."
Tao Mo bent down to help, and as soon as his hands touched his sleeves, Cui Jiong stood up by himself.
Tao Mo pointed to the people brought by Lao Tao, and asked, "Who are they?"
"A new servant." Old Tao said, "The yamen also needs someone to clean the facade."
Cui Jiong came here early, originally planning to take over the job, but now he is happy to let them do the work themselves.
Tao Mo asked sadly, "So many?"
Old Tao said: "It can't be less."
Tao Mo sighed, "I don't know when I will receive my salary."
When it comes to salary, Cui Jiong is very angry. By convention, the imperial court distributes charcoal silver every year, which is equivalent to a red envelope for the New Year. But this year, due to Zhang Jingyuan's death and Tao Mo's time to take office, there was no movement of this money. He asked about the canon history of the neighboring county, and said that they had published it a few days earlier. It can be seen that the charcoal and silver are not gone, but have gone to other people's wallets.
Old Tao took the servants down, leaving Tao Mo and Cui Jiong staring at each other in the hall.
for a moment.
Tao Mo spoke first, "Have you eaten?"
Cui Jiong said: "Eat."
Tao Mo sighed, "I haven't. Why don't we eat together?"
Cui Jiong twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "I ate."
Tao Mo said, "What about lunch?"
"..." Cui Jiong said, "Not yet."
"Let's eat together."
What I ate was white porridge with pickles.
Cui Jiong drank slowly, the soy milk and fried dough sticks he ate when he came here were running around in his stomach.
Tao Mo relished it.
"Master, is it delicious?" Hao Guozi poked his head in from outside.
Tao Mo said, "It's Cui Dianshi."
Cui Jiong's stomach was distended after eating, and he took a breath with difficulty, and said repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad."
Hao Guozi closed the window with satisfaction.
Cui Jiong said: "Just now this is..."
"My boy." Tao Mo said.
Cui Jiong said: "My lord must come from a scholarly family, a family of poetry and etiquette."
Tao Mo said, "Are you talking about calligraphy and painting?"
Cui Jiong said: "Oh? Your Excellency knows calligraphy and painting?"
Tao Mo said: "None."
"Your Excellency, you are humble." Cui Jiong naturally knew that he was bought as an official, but since the other party gave him a blow, don't blame him for poking his feet.
Tao Mo said: "Of all the famous sayings of the ancients, I only remember one."
"Which one?"
"One who is useless is a scholar."
Cui Jiong greatly agreed. He was born as a martial artist, and because he failed in the martial arts examination, he asked someone to make a pawn in history. It's also a donation, he feels that he is still somewhat genuine, so he can't get used to those literati who think they are noble all day long. In particular, there are not many things in Tanyang County, but the most literati. And all of them are literati whose lips are faster than knives.
Seeing him suddenly quiet down, Tao Mo couldn't help asking, "What's wrong?"
Cui Jiong said: "It's nothing, I just remembered a case."
"A case?" Tao Mo cheered up, "What case?"
Cui Jiong was talking nonsense at first, so he didn't think of any case, so he couldn't answer the question, he thought for a while and said: "It was a case a few years ago, a woman committed adultery and killed her husband. "
Tao Mo asked suspiciously, "Why did you think of this case for nothing?"
Cui Jiong said: "The woman's husband is a butcher, and her adulterer is a local scholar. After the incident, several friends of the scholar arranged the relationship for him. In the end, only the woman was sentenced and the scholar was allowed to go unpunished."
Tao Mo frowned and said, "Isn't that scholar ignorant?"
"How can a mere woman kill a butcher with her bare hands? It's a sophistry." Cui Jiong snorted coldly. It's a place for games, and it's really hateful to use a three-inch tongue to turn right and wrong, and deceive the ignorant people!"
Tao Mo was filled with righteous indignation when he heard what he said, but he was confused, "Who are you talking about?"
Cui Jiong closed his mouth, "Your Excellency will stay in Tanyang County for a few more days." He drank the porridge on his back, found a reason casually, and hurriedly left without waiting for Tao Mo to persuade him to stay.
After he left, Lao Tao knocked on the door and came in.
"Master, I have inquired about it. There are vacancies in the county magistrate and master book in this county, and the Dianshi will temporarily take up the post." Lao Tao glanced at the empty bowl on the table and said, "It's just why he knelt down in front of the young master. "
"I don't know either." Tao Mo recounted the events after meeting Cui Jiong.
Lao Tao frowned while listening, "I'm afraid he misunderstood."
"Misunderstanding what?"
"It's nothing." He waved his hand, "He is not important, the most important thing here is the lawyer he said."
"A litigator?"
Old Tao said: "That's right. The two most famous litigators in the world back then, Lin Zhengyong and Mr. Yichui, both retired to the fishing township under Tanyang County."
Tao Mo's eyes lit up.
Old Tao shook his head and said, "Young master, don't forget the master's instructions before he died. If you can be a good official praised by everyone, it will be the best repayment for the master's spirit in heaven."
Tao Mo's eyes darkened slightly.
"After those two famous lawyers retired, countless lawyers came to visit them. Over time, this place became the largest gathering place of lawyers in the world." Old Tao frowned when he heard the news. No wonder Tao Mo didn't follow anyone's lead, and was assigned to such a wealthy county, which turned out to be a hot potato that no one dared to touch.
Tao Mo said: "So, these litigators are against the government?"
"You can't generalize." Old Taunt paused, "A good litigator and a good official are naturally on the same line."
Tao Mo raised his eyebrows and said, "That's right. In this way, it is a blessing for Tanyang County that they are in Tanyang County."
Old Tao opened his mouth, after all he couldn't bear to dampen his enthusiasm.
Although a good litigator and a good official are on the same line, before Tao Mo becomes a truly respected and recognized good official, not only the good litigator will not join him, but the litigator with evil thoughts will suppress him everywhere.
It is said that Zhang Jingyuan's short life is not unrelated to long-term depression.
He sighed. Things have come to this point, we can only take one step at a time.
After introducing Tao Mo to the new servants and asking Hao Guozi to arrange their daily affairs, the old Tao took Tao Mo out for a stroll.
As a county magistrate, he must be familiar with the plants and trees under his jurisdiction.
The two first got familiar with the streets, and walked back and forth along the east-west main road.
By the time the walk was over, it was already dark.
Seeing that Tao Mo's face turned pale, Lao Tao remembered that he had just recovered from his illness, and secretly blamed himself for being too radical, so he said, "Why don't we find a teahouse to eat before going back."
Tao Mo is just as hungry as a drum beating, so there is no reason why he shouldn't.
The two found a prosperous teahouse nearby.
As soon as he entered the door, he heard a man with a loud voice stand in the hall and yelled: "If you want to know what the new official looks like, three copper coins are welcome!"