Since I met you, people are dying every day

The request was unsurprising.Ye Sirui sipped his tea, "When will we talk?"

"At the second watch tonight, I invite you to talk in his room." Xia Shu said.

"He's very elegant." Ye Sirui passed the cup over again, "This is smog tea, the craftsmanship of the tea is pretty good, and it's not a bad tea, you should try it too."

Xia Shu didn't notice it, so he took a sip from the cup, "What is rime tea?"

Seeing him drinking tea, Ye Sirui knew that he didn't know how to taste tea, and felt a little regretful.But it's something to be happy about the fact that he drinks from his own cup without any qualms. "Smog tea is autumn tea. Generally speaking, autumn tea is thick and old, summer tea is rich, and the taste is not as good as spring tea, but smog tea is different. It is said that because of the climate in Linxian County, you have to wait until autumn to pick it, and it has to be picked until frost. After that, the tea leaves are as white as frost, like rime, and taste cool, hence the name."

Xia Shu listened carefully to his explanation, picked up the cup and took another sip, wondering if it was a psychological effect, it was indeed different from the feeling just now. "Good tea." He said solemnly.

For a person who can't taste tea to say such words, Ye Sirui felt a subtle sense of accomplishment in his heart. "Talk tonight, so you don't have to go with me." He played with the cup and took another sip leisurely.

"No." Xia Shu said, he put his hand on Ye Sirui's shoulder, as if Ye Sirui was going to leave now.

Ye Sirui was pleasantly surprised by his subconscious actions, but he couldn't really sit here all night, so he had to explain to him: "Since he is willing to talk to me, it means there is something inside, otherwise he is giving me a gift, no It will touch me in the slightest. If I have something bad or bad in Bingxian county government, he won't be able to afford it and walk away."

Xia Shu only held him tight.The moment Ye Sirui met his gaze, he compromised.

"Okay, I'll take you there. You watch outside the door and don't make any noise. Shi Ziyu is very cautious. If he finds you here, he may be too scared to say anything. If I need it, I will call you out." of."

Xia Shu immediately moved his hand away.Ye Sirui felt a little disappointed, and secretly scolded himself for being stupid.

It was getting late after drinking, so Ye Sirui got up and asked Cha Ming to fetch water to wash up after drinking the cup of tea.Both he and Xia Shu wiped their faces hastily with handkerchiefs, and each took a rest.At midnight, Chaming woke them up as promised. "Okay, we're going to do business, you watch here, don't let us find out that we're not here."

Chaming was a little scared. "Master, where are you going?"

"Don't ask if you shouldn't." Ye Sirui left without saying a word.In order not to attract attention, he changed into a straight, crow-blue robe, while Xia Shu still wore a black robe.Xia Shu walked in front and led the way. He sent Shi Ziyu back to the house, and he had already familiarized himself with the layout of the county government by the way.Ye Sirui felt that following him he would never lose his way.

The lights in Shi Ziyu's room were dimly lit.There is no servant at the door of the house, it seems that he has sent him away.Xia Shu will stop here to watch the door.Ye Sirui was about to go in when Xia Shu suddenly grabbed him.This action was not small, Ye Sirui staggered and fell into Xia Shu's arms.Xia Shu whispered in his ear, "Be careful."

Just say it, why are you so ambiguous?Ye Sirui broke away from him and pushed the door in, thankfully he couldn't see the blush in the night.

Shi Ziyu probably didn't sleep all night, he was still wearing his daytime uniform, and he just took off his black gauze hat and sat on the official hat chair.The head was really bald.The Wusha hat was placed on the table next to it, along with a pot of tea and two tea bowls.Hearing the noise, he asked, "Who?"

"I'm late, please tell Mrs. Shi to wait." Ye Sirui said, Shi Shiran walked to him and sat down.

Shi Ziyu picked up the black gauze hat on the table and put it on, then knelt down and kowtowed to Ye Sirui, "The incompetent county magistrate Shi Ziyu apologizes to Mr. Qian Shi!"

"It's just incompetence?" Ye Sirui smiled, picked up the teapot on his table to pour tea, picked it up and smelled it, "Since Master Shi has kept such good tea privately, why is he only willing to entertain me with rime tea?" Shi Ziyu was stunned for a moment when he heard his questioning, "The tea I served for you... smog tea? I don't have smog tea... Oh!" He suddenly frowned fiercely, and several wrinkles appeared on his chubby face, "You The tea in the room was prepared by Kong Taiping, and the subordinate officials did not intervene."

He called Kong Taiping by his first name, which showed his disgust.Ye Sirui sipped tea and looked at his bedroom by the light, it was indeed exquisite. "Master Shi asked me to come, didn't he want to talk with you?"

Shi Ziyu hesitated for a while, then moved his round body, took a chessboard and two pots of chess pieces from the cabinet with great difficulty, and carefully put them on the table and put them away.The chessboard was made of sandalwood, and it shone golden under the light.Ye Sirui took a black chess piece and looked at it in his hand. It was as delicate as jade, with a circle of pale green light. "It's Yunzi."

"Your Excellency has good eyesight." Shi Ziyu praised after setting up the chessboard.He put a pot of Baizi in front of Ye Sirui.

Zhibai goes first, Ye Sirui is not humble, first put the chess pieces on the four corners of the star position, and then play chess. "Master Shi's food and clothing costs are very luxurious."

Shi Ziyu followed suit. "I made your lord laugh. I was born in a family of food, and I was favored by His Majesty in the past. I am a high-ranking official and have a good salary. I am used to it, but I can't change it."

Ye Sirui nodded slightly, "I'm used to it... I don't know if the salary of seven and a half stones for the magistrate of Bing County is enough for the habits of adults?"

Shi Ziyu finally got the smell, and forgot to settle down for a moment. "My lord! Although the lower official has been demoted, he still has the savings of good land at home. He will definitely not search for people's fat and anointment just because of these food and clothing expenses! There is no such thing as taking bribes! I don't know who is talking about the lower official behind his back, so punishing! Please let him and the lower Confront the officer!"

"Okay, okay, I'm just joking, don't be so excited, play chess, play chess." Ye Sirui urged him.what about shi ziyu

Do you know who said this?It's just that he has been reluctant to speak.Ye Sirui tested him with words.

In a blink of an eye, black and white were already intertwined on the chessboard.Shi Ziyu finally made up his mind, "Master Ye, please find out that Kong Taiping, the county magistrate, was corrupt and broke the law, accepted bribes, and wasted his life!" His tone was passionate, but Ye Sirui said calmly: "Oh! ? What's going on?"

Shi Ziyu said: "The lower official was relegated, and he was depressed at first, but he thought that if he could strictly rectify the administration of officials, dredge the silt and release the flood, and do some practical things for the people, it would be worthy of the kindness of the sage..." He said some official phrases, Ye Sirui looked at the chessboard.Heizi is very cautious in his moves, and will never take the initiative to attack unless he has a killer move.Bai Zi opened and closed, very domineering. "...I don't think that Kong Taiping has been here for a long time, buying people's hearts, and the entire county government is under his control. He also bribed the chief of the state government, and even embezzled money and food. Every time the subordinate officials wrote letters, it was like a stone sinking into the sea..."

Ye Sirui took another blow from him before saying: "Lord Shi, don't be distracted while talking with your hands."

Shi Ziyu hastily said, "The lower officials wanted to hide their strengths and bide their time, but they couldn't bear it! The floods in Bing County caused countless damage to people and animals every year. The lower officials wrote letters repeatedly. On-the-spot inspections, drawing drawings. Although the lower officials are not talented, they used to be a doctor of the Ministry of Industry, especially good at water conservancy." He said here, showing a little complacency.Ye Sirui was also secretly surprised, he didn't expect him to have such a skill. "But! It's so easy to wait for the official document from the state government to ask Kong Taiping to supervise the construction of the river embankment!" Shi Ziyu's eyes were cracked, and her kind round face was terrifying. "He, Kong Taiping, is just an unranked candidate! Bapin County Prime Minister! Just a second official! What qualifications does he have to supervise the construction of river embankments!"

Ye Sirui was lazily leaning on the chair, but immediately sat up straight when he heard the words, "You said that Kong Taiping supervised the construction of the embankment?"

Shi Ziyu's anger still persisted, "Exactly! The lower official had a bad idea. In order not to ruin his hard work, he specially asked someone to mediate and monitor Kong Taiping, lest he finish the project hastily and leave hidden dangers. The monitors only said Everything was normal, and the summer was frightening, but a flood came and everything was destroyed." He said at the end, exhausted.

"Lord Shi, I don't understand." Ye Sirui said, "You used to be an official in the Ministry of Industry, so you should know a lot of people in the court, not to mention that since you come from a family of food, you should have made a lot of old friends. So Kong Taiping Even if he can buy the officials of the Tongzhou Yamen, can he buy the officials of the three provinces and six ministries? Since you know that he is wrong, why didn’t you write a letter of impeachment to the imperial court, and let him bully you?"

Shi Ziyu put down the chess pieces and remained silent.After a long time, he said slowly, "At first, I didn't understand either."

On the chessboard, the white flag has already taken advantage.Ye Sirui picked out the sunspots and put them aside, "Then it seems that you understand now? You might as well make it clear."

Shi Ziyu didn't pay attention to the chessboard at all. "Your Excellency Ye is proposing to punish the procuratorial envoy Siqian, you should know about the Northern and Southern Party, right?"

In the middle of the court, there are two parties, the North and the South, and the factions are fighting endlessly.This is not just a territorial dispute.The two parties have a long history, and each has high-ranking persons, and they also have disciples, families, and in-laws, and they are closely linked from the capital to the localities.Ye Sirui raised his eyebrows, "Continue."

"Now that I know, I have nothing to say." Shi Ziyu said to his son, "This official was originally from the capital, but he was relegated to Bing County to be the county magistrate. He has become an outcast. Although Kong Taiping's power is small, , but there is a big tree with deep roots and luxuriant leaves behind it. On this chessboard, the sunspots have the upper hand, how can a discarded piece from a subordinate official turn the tide?" He threw the sunspot back into the pot.

Ye Sirui smiled lightly. "Master Shi thinks this round has been lost?"

Shi Ziyu cupped his hands. "Master Ye is very skilled in chess, I am ashamed to be an inferior official."

Ye Sirui shook his head, "Master Shi, your chess strength is not inferior to mine, and I am afraid that you are superior to me in terms of calculation. Your weakness is that you are too cautious. If only dead players can make moves, then no chess game in this world will be able to be played. .” Shi Ziyu listened to the training with his head bowed.

Ye Sirui moved the pot of sunspots in front of him, dropping them one by one. "Besides, who said that abandoned sons cannot turn the tide?"

A few pieces fell, and the chaotic sunspots on the chessboard connected into a black dragon, which seemed to be flying through the clouds in an instant.