man in apricot forest

Mei Shuao tightly held the wine bag in his hand, he didn't bring the quenched plum sword with him when he went out today, otherwise Mei Shuao didn't know if he would rush in with the sword.

Mei Shuao walked back with a gloomy expression, and happened to meet He Zhong.

"What's wrong with Mr. Mei? His face is not very good." He Zhong asked.

"Where does Ji Yu live?"

He Zhong pointed to the circular door opening on the side, "Go in from here, the first one on the right."

"Thank you, Mr. He."

He Zhong stroked his beard, saw that Mei Shuao had found the right place, then turned and walked away.

Mei Shuao stood in front of the door, with the fingers of his left hand resting on the pulse of his right hand.

He waited until he calmed down before knocking on the door, "Junqin, it's me."

When the door opened, there was nothing wrong with Ji Yu, and Mei Shuao was completely relaxed.

"How's Junqin? Why isn't he feeling well?"

Mei Shuao walked into the room as usual, found a chair and sat down.

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

"It's fine." Mei Shuao thought for a moment, then said, "Do you know Yuanhua?"

"Golden flower...is slightly poisonous, but boiled with vinegar, the toxicity will be reduced to a minimum. Sun-dried for medicinal purposes, it can remove moisture, and the detoxification effect of the root is also very good." Ji Yu blurted out, and asked Mei Shu Ao: "Why are you asking this?"

Mei Shuao said: "Is there Daphne Flower in the prescription you gave Master Xue's back then?"

"Yes, but I've soaked it in vinegar for a day."

Ji Yu didn't ask how Mei Shuao knew about it.

"Is there licorice in the prescription?"

Ji Yu frowned, "The licorice cannot be taken together with Daphne, it will be highly poisonous."

"Junqin, I have always believed that you will not use the wrong medicine."

Mei Shuao told Ji Yu what he just heard.

Ji Yu didn't respond after hearing this, and said, "Mrs. Xue still died because of me."

"Junqin..."

"But I believe in destiny. Madam Xue's destiny is like this, just like Wu Sheng."

Mei Shuao said softly: "It's good that you understand, Junqin, this matter has absolutely nothing to do with you."

Ji Yu is too calm now, and Mei Shuao didn't let go of the fact that Ji Yu's expression was not right when he saw Xue's family members, some knots he had to solve by himself.

"We don't care about the Xue family's affairs."

Mei Shuao was silent for a long time, and said: "Okay, listen to you."

Ji Yu and Mei Shuao are going to bid farewell to He Zhong.

Unexpectedly, there was an emergency at the First Escort, and Xue Hongyi's brother and sister had already left in a hurry on fast horses.

He Zhong's face was a little embarrassed, "Doctor Ji, I'm really sorry, I wanted you to go with Security Guard Xue, but I didn't expect their siblings to leave in a hurry, and they didn't even sit in the carriage."

"I still thank you for your kindness, and the two of us plan to leave."

"How can you leave!" He Zhong pretended to be angry, "If you leave after two, I won't be able to finish my meal."

Xue Hongyi's departure followed their wishes, and the two stayed in the county government for dinner.

"Baimei, go and call Master over for dinner, there is too much food to waste."

"Yes, my lord."

Just as Ji Yu was about to take his seat, when he heard He Zhong's words, his heart sank, and he always felt that this master would be the one he didn't want to see.

After a while, a man came in from outside the hall. He was in his 40s and [-]s with a mustache and some bruises at the corners of his eyes. He always felt that he didn't fit well in a fancy dress.

Mr. Zhao narrowed his eyes and walked in with a smile, "I will see Mr. He."

"Master Zhao, come, let's eat together and it will be lively if there are many people." He Zhong greeted Master Zhao to sit next to Mei Shuao.

Master Zhao didn't dislike the lower seat, he still sat down with a smile.

Only then did Mei Shuao see Zhao Meng's face clearly, but it was not good in front of He Zhong.

Mei Shuao slightly hooked the stool with his foot, and when Zhao Meng was about to go down, he suddenly fell a big somersault.

"Master, why are you so careless." He Zhong said helplessly.

Zhao Meng was not steady. He drank too much yesterday. He couldn't remember Mei Shuao, so he knew that he looked at a beauty, and he was slammed by his husband.

Zhao Meng naturally didn't remember Ji Yu either, he always thought that the little beauty he saw yesterday was a woman.

"Master, my surname is Zhao, and my first name is Meng. What do you call these two young masters?"

Seeing that no one was laughing at him, Zhao Meng stood up by himself to ease the embarrassment.

Ji Yu didn't intend to speak, so He Zhong started to introduce the two of them.

"Doctor Ji looks really handsome this time, do you have a wife or concubine?"

Zhao Meng laughed, and the mustache on his chin was also shaking.

Ji Yu glanced at Zhao Meng, "No."

Zhao Meng was stared at by Ji Yu's eyes, and suddenly he was speechless. He didn't remember when he offended Ji Yu who met him for the first time.

Seeing that the atmosphere at the dinner table was not good, He Zhong hurriedly said, "Everyone eat vegetables."

"Mr. Mei can drink?"

"My lord, I know a little bit."

He Zhong laughed heartily, "That's great. I know Doctor Ji this time. He never drinks alcohol. Mr. Zhao also gets drunk when he drinks. Come, Mr. Mei will have a few drinks with me."

"Master Zhao, do you want to come together?" He Zhong asked Zhao Meng.

"Okay, many things are not going well for you recently, and you will be relieved when you get drunk." Zhao Meng also waved his left hand wrapped in white gauze to show He Zhong.

"Baimei, pour the wine."

This wine is a good wine that He Zhong has cherished for a long time, and he has no chance to drink it on weekdays. This time when he meets his savior again, He Zhong intends to stop dealing with business in the afternoon and just have a good drink.

"It's all full, and the one for the master is also full." He Zhong drank a few glasses, feeling a little excited, "It's the first time that I have invited you to drink since the master took office for two months."

Zhao Meng hurriedly said: "Your Excellency is so angry, it should be the next official to invite you."

Mei Shuao was silent at the side, and he would drink as soon as He Zhong poured it for him, Mei Shuao has always been a good drinker.

And Zhao Meng's drinking capacity is really not good, just after the third tour, he started talking nonsense, "Master County, you said that my natal cousin is so good that he is a magistrate, why did you bring me here to be a master?"

He Zhong smiled, but didn't answer.

Master Zhao was transferred here, and He Zhong knew that there was someone above him, but Master Zhao has been performing well in the past two months, and He Zhong is still satisfied with him.

"My lord, look at my hands, you have to decide for me."

"What's the matter? But your wife beat you." At the wine table, He Zhong also let go of his official airs, "I can't take care of my wife's beating."

Zhao Meng snorted, "If my little lady is okay, I don't know how to kill Cheng Yaojin halfway."

Mei Shuao bounced a peanut hard onto Zhao Meng's leg.

"Hey, my leg is also numb now. It must have been beaten by that person, leaving the root of the disease. What a fucking back."

"Haha, master is drunk now"

He Zhong saw that Zhao Meng was getting more and more out of bounds, so he planned to ask his servants to send Zhao Meng back.

The servant who had just been recruited said, "My lord, there is someone outside asking to see you."

"Let's not talk about seeing any guests now, won't you be promoted?" He Zhong also felt a little drunk.

"But the man insisted on seeing His Excellency."

"Tomorrow...tomorrow."

Suddenly there was a noise outside the hall,

At this time, two people dressed as yamen servants knelt on the ground, "Master... my lord... this subordinate neglected his duty and let that person break in."

He Zhong waved his sleeve, "Forget it, I'll go and have a look."

Mei Shuao nodded to Ji Yu, and the two followed.

Before leaving, Mei Shuao even kicked the drunk Master Zhao.

A young woman was kneeling outside the hall door.

The woman knelt on the ground and said: "Mr. Zhao Li, the woman of the people, pays homage to Mr. He, and asks Mr. He to seek justice for the women."

He Zhong also did not pursue Zhao Li's crime of trespassing on the yamen, "Just wait a moment, what is the matter?"

The woman was still kneeling on the ground, "The civilian woman is the daughter of Li Licheng in Shihe Village. Less than a month ago, the civilian woman was favored by the master in the adult's mansion, and she wanted to marry her back home as a concubine, but her father refused. He threatened each other, and brought a group of people to the house to rob people, and the woman who came to court was a member of his Zhao family, and the woman also recognized it."

The woman's voice became hoarse, "But a few days ago, Zhao Meng, who was devoid of conscience, went to Shihe Village to collect rent under the banner of the government. They are all poor people, and they pay enough taxes every year, and they have to pay rent alone. Dad refuses to ask about money, so we argue with him a few words."

"There is such a thing..." He Zhong was quite astonished.

"Zhao Meng never let the women go out. Today Zhao Meng said that his relatives are coming. When he was in a good mood, he asked the women to go home to visit his father. The women only found out this morning."

The woman burst into tears as she spoke, "Poor daddy didn't want to pay the rent, and he hated Mr. Zhao deeply. He fought with him, but he was seriously injured by him. He didn't recover after resting for a long time. When the women arrived, daddy With only half a breath, seeing that the woman is safe and sound, my father closed his eyes."

"My lord, please be careful." After the woman finished speaking, she knelt down at He Zhong's feet.

"You get up first. If this matter really happens, I will definitely decide for you." He Zhong's complexion was pale, and his fingers were trembling, "Come here, tie up Zhao Meng first."

Then he said to the two yamen servants next to him: "You two will follow me to Shihe Village to find out."

He Zhong didn't even care about Ji Yu and the two of them, so he left in a hurry.

He Zhong went to Shihe Village to inquire and found out that Zhao Meng was indeed collecting rent money, not only in Shihe Village, but also in the surrounding villages under He Zhong's jurisdiction.

And what Zhao Lishi said is absolutely true.

After He Zhong returned to the mansion, he immediately ascended to the hall, turned over all Zhao Meng's family property, and returned all the rent collected to the people.

"He Zhong, you will regret it." Zhao Meng knelt on the ground and yelled: "Tomorrow my prefect cousin will arrive, and the chain you bound me will see what excuse you can use to untie it!"

He Zhong sneered, "Zhao Mengge will be resigned as a master, put in prison, retried the next day, and resigned."

In the backyard of the government office, He Zhong sat on a chair in a daze, "Doctor Ji, do you think I've lost my mind?"

Ji Yu said: "It is inevitable that people will make mistakes sometimes."

"It's ridiculous to say that I would believe that such a slippery person is useless when he gets old."

He Zhong thought about what he said again, if he really didn't get promoted, it would be his first time as a county magistrate in four years.

He Zhong smiled wryly, "Once a person achieves something, he doesn't know who he is. A year ago, when the term of office expired, the common people knelt along the street and begged me to stay in office again. These days, I only know about the Yongyu City. Just a few words of praise, let the master take care of some things. Confused, He Yongyu, you are really ashamed of this name."

The author has something to say: This chapter basically doesn’t write about Ji Yuqingqing and Mei’s second son. I always wanted to write about this county magistrate.But how many people never looked back...