On the third day of November, it started snowing in Rongcheng.
The weather was getting colder. Rongcheng was originally mountainous and prone to fog. After a snowfall, it was foggy and white everywhere.
In addition, many people were infected with the plague due to the strong autumn winds that passed through the area, and life became increasingly difficult for the people.
The Governor, who always loved his people like his own children, did not come up with any effective way to control the plague and provide relief to the victims this time. This caused the people of Rongcheng, who had always been particularly fond of the Governor, to begin to complain.
Although everyone knew that the governor's son was missing, and everyone knew that the son was the governor's lifeblood and they understood it very well, they still felt uncomfortable.
Liu Biping didn't care whether the people were comfortable or not, as his son had been missing for the fourth day.
Four days is enough time for those with ulterior motives to do anything.
When he once again urged his men to search carefully for clues, he finally couldn't help but break into Shen Chen's inn.
But when he appeared at the door of the inn with a cold face, he was greeted not only by Shen Chen's guards and the Jinyiwei, but also by a group of unexpected people - all the people from the four major families were there.
Mr. Xu, who was standing nearby with a smile on his face, said "oh" and came forward to greet him with a respectful yet indescribable deliberate gesture: "So it's the Minister who has arrived. I am so sorry for my disrespect."
As he saluted, he glanced at the large group of guards surrounding him, sighed, and asked nervously: "Minister..."
Liu Biping glanced at him with some disgust.
In the past, people like Xu Dashanren would not even be qualified to stand next to him and talk.
Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, he was ranked the lowest. Even when compared with members of the Liu family who were also engaged in business, he could not compare with them.
But now, because he has relied on Shen Chen, he actually thinks he can come up and talk to me
You really don't know how to live or die.
The chief guard was used to seeing Liu Biping's look, so he immediately understood. He stepped forward and pushed Xu Dashan away with a cold face. He continued to speak to the Jinyiwei guarding the door with a cold face: "Sir, the governor has important matters to discuss with the imperial envoy. Please inform him."
Xu Dashan was pushed aside, but he did not stand silently by the side as before. He stopped the chief of the personal guards, put on a stern face and shook his head: "Sir Qin, this is inappropriate, right? The imperial envoy has already said that he has no time to see the minister..."
The chief of the guards was no longer willing to give him face, and he sneered at him and asked him, "Who are you?"
Mr. Xu was stunned where he stood.
These people are shameless.
In the past, they always followed the Liu family and picked up food, and they wanted to kneel down and kowtow to the people of the Liu family. But now, they have become so arrogant that they have forgotten their own weight.
Everyone remained silent, and Mr. Xu seemed a little embarrassed.
However, facing this scene, the head of the personal guard was obviously happy to see it. He laughed, no longer hiding his disdain and sarcasm, and sneered: "The Xu family is just a merchant. Since when did they have the rule of not kneeling when meeting an official?"
Everyone was stunned.
Mr. Xu opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the aggressive momentum of the chief guard.
The head of the imperial guards had a cold face, and looked at Mr. Xu as if he was looking at a fool. "I know that the imperial envoy is in a high position and has great power, so some people want to climb up the ladder. But we have to consider the time and place. Now the minister wants to see the imperial envoy. I don't know who you are, Mr. Xu, how dare you speak out at this time?"
Using status to pressure others is what the Liu family often does.
In the past, there was really nothing much to say about Mr. Xu. After all, he was just a businessman. Although he was a businessman with some power, a merchant was still a merchant after all.
He knew that he was inferior to others and had no connections, so he could not make any progress, so he just kept on being tolerant.
What the chief guard said was not wrong. The Xu family used to be like a dog, following behind the other three families, begging for mercy and wagging its tail to keep its hard-earned wealth.
But now it's different.
Mr. Xu's face darkened. The resentment that he had been holding in his heart for a long time and that seemed difficult to dissipate was now vented. He looked at the chief guard in front of him with a cold face, raised his head high, raised his chin, and frowned slowly, saying, "Who am I? Let the adults know that the imperial court's documents have been sent down, and I am already a fourth-rank deputy envoy of the Maritime Customs..."
He looked at the changes in Liu Biping and the chief of the imperial guards with satisfaction, and smiled a little: "I am not a talented official, but I am honored by the imperial envoy and the court. I will do my best to help the court and the emperor."
Mr. Wang, who had been standing behind him without moving, coughed at this time: "This was only decided today. I guess the Minister has not seen the document yet..."
In fact, a deputy envoy of the Maritime Customs was not really in Liu Biping's eyes.
He didn't need to see it, so the people below didn't take it seriously.
After all, Liu Biping wanted to kill even the chief imperial envoy, so what was the deputy envoy
But in the eyes of the public, it meant something different-----Such a big thing, the deputy envoy appointed by the court, but Liu Biping, the governor, didn't know... ..
Everyone had their own standards in their hearts, and they all felt that it was Shen Chen who played a role in this, and they couldn't help but feel a little frightened of Shen Chen.
However, Mr. Wang thought in his heart that his old man was knowledgeable. The old man said that Shen Chen was not an ordinary person and would defeat Liu Biping sooner or later. Now it seems that this is really the case.
He was somewhat glad that he seized the opportunity and joined Shen Chen.
After the momentary surprise, the captain of the personal guards was left with long-lasting anger and embarrassment. He was just a merchant, and even if his house was full of gold and silver, he could not wear them on his body. In the past, he would flock to them and run around to flatter them cautiously, but he never took these people seriously.
But now, this great good man Xu has suddenly become an official of the fourth rank!
His official position is actually higher than his!
Shen Chen is so generous!
No wonder these people all turned to him and were willing to stand up for him. It turned out that it was because their own interests were involved and they had to speak up for him.
He didn't know how to react. According to etiquette, he should bow to Mr. Xu, after all, he was now a fourth-rank official.
But in terms of status, he looked down upon the great man Xu in front of him. Moreover, he had just ridiculed him, so how could he bow down and salute him now? !
The atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment until Liu Biping laughed lightly.
He is the one who can really make the decision, and everyone's attention is on him.