Chapter 4, Tiger Bone

At this point, Zhang Longtao took the whip, cracking it in the air with a sharp sound, and sneered: "You all pass the word along. If the female officials of Dayan Temple attempt to exploit loopholes to overturn the strong conscription order of Lord Wei, none of you are to assist them! If anyone does help, they will be opposing me, Zhang Longtao, and undermining the reputation of the Zhang family. If they comply with my request, then I will consider it a favor owed to them!"

Although Zhang Longtao is lecherous, he is by no means foolish; otherwise, he would not have been able to operate freely for many years without incident

Furthermore, keep an eye on these old acquaintances of the several veterans, and pass the word along to see who dares to stir even a little in this one-acre and three-tenths of land in Yunyan County

In this world, the feudal lords are fragmented, the emperor's authority has diminished, and the county magistrates are directly appointed and delegated by the feudal lords

Having said that, with lingering thoughts, she remarked: "I took a glance, and this young lady is truly beautiful; young master, you have a discerning eye"

These three characters are the work of the calligraphy master Zhang Zezhong, and Wang Shouye, upon looking at them, also found them extraordinary

At this moment, Wang Shouye, feeling somewhat unfamiliar, arrived at the county town. The city gate of the county town stood at a height of five zhang, with the large characters "Yunyan County" suspended above the entrance

"That's it!" Wang Shouye thought for a moment based on his memory; the price was slightly lower than expected. Originally, he had bargained down to one hundred and fifty taels. Without saying another word, he took the box and left.

At this moment, Zhang Longtao swayed into the teahouse, which was somewhat dim inside. He approached, and the shopkeeper hurriedly prepared tea for him, while three attendants stood by with their hands at their sides, silent.

Following the memory of his body, he turned a few corners and arrived in front of a pharmacy, where Wang Shouye entered

A few people listened in silence; indeed, it was like a life-and-death banquet.

A fellow stuck out his tongue and said, "In that case, I won't take this money. Hey, how dare they go?"

Just the other day, a gift that was sent out has been returned intact today; the recipient refused to accept it. In a bad mood, I took a ride on my horse to wander around.

The speaker is a fellow named Zhang, who is said to be a distant nephew of the boss. Upon seeing Xie Xiang, he became envious of the young man and would always find ways to trouble or mock him.

"Shopkeeper, this ... ... " said Zhang, the assistant

The entrance fee is ten wen per person

The servant Wang Cai did not want to flatter improperly, yet he did not dare to disobey orders, so he immediately began to slap his own face, saying: "Yes, I am a fool, what the young master says is true."

In a shop, a clerk said, "Hey, have you heard... the River God Festival, which occurs once every ten years, has attracted quite a number of people"

The sharp-eyed servant reported loudly: "I will go right away, young master, please wait a moment!"

Autumn has arrived, and after several consecutive heavy rains, the weather has suddenly turned cool. The county office is located in the northern part of the city, and nearby is the street, which is quite decent, lined with shops in an orderly fashion.

Ah, I heard that he was summoned by Lord Wei... After decades of friendship, one must have some conscience. He has already profited from this, and it would be unkind to kick someone when they are down. Manager Gao murmured to himself, continuing to look at the account books, but he gave a warning glance to a young assistant.

Zhang Longtao glanced over and noticed that not far away, someone was speaking at a pawnshop. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Xie Xiang. Due to their position, Xie Xiang could not see them, which instantly filled him with joy

Before long, the servant Wang Cai quickly emerged from the back door of the pawnshop and ran over, whispering: "Young Master, I have inquired thoroughly. She came with an old man and pawned a fine gold bracelet along with several other pieces of jewelry, totaling one hundred and twenty taels of silver."

Ah! With a sound, Zhang stared blankly at the gold.

With just a few crackling sounds, it truly struck, and my face immediately swelled up

A servant's eyes lit up, and he hurried over to say to him: "Young Master, Young Master, look! Isn't this the female crown of the Dayan Temple? How did it end up in a pawn shop?"

Speaking, he ran out before the shopkeeper could respond

"Everything is sold, how much do you think it's worth?" Wang Shouye said as he placed the burden on the counter

The county town is entirely different from the small village, with roads lined with shops, all featuring two- or three-story wooden buildings, creating a bustling atmosphere, which of course cannot be compared to that of the Earth

Speaking, he turned over and dismounted, heading towards the teahouse of the boss he had just encountered. The boss, cursing inwardly, had no choice but to quickly put on a smile and welcome him.

Manager Gao let out a cold snort and said, "I have been the manager for twenty years; within these two hundred taels, I still have this authority"

This Yunyi County was approved for appointment by the Marquis of Wei, and the county magistrate holds the eighth rank, which clearly indicates that he is someone who can engage in conversation with the Marquis of Wei

Zhang, the assistant, listened but his eyes were darting around. After a moment, he clapped his hands and said: "Shopkeeper, the boss asked me to fetch a batch of medicinal herbs this morning, and I completely forgot. I will go right away"

No need. The young master smiled faintly and said, "I am going to pay my respects to a few gentlemen, so I will not be coming back!"

Among the inherent components of Old Dad, there are certain matters that cannot be resolved merely through connections. His arrogance over the years, yet still living quite comfortably, itself indicates the issue

Zhang Longtao sat leisurely, noticing the watermelon and books, feeling that it was too cool, yet he did not move. Sipping tea, he appeared calm and composed, silently pondering why she had come to work.

The boss felt a sense of relief and responded, "Yes, then you can come in the future."

Wang Shouye entered the city through a side entrance

Only fearing Zhang Longtao, they did not dare to obstruct and quickly let him in

The Dayan Temple frequently collects yam and game for this pharmacy. Originally, the relationship was quite close, but it has gradually cooled over time; however, the prices remain fair

They are heroes and great figures, unlike us. Moreover, there is the lord's command, which cannot be ignored. Just as they were speaking, a commotion was suddenly heard in the street, and the shopkeeper immediately fell silent.

As he spoke, the package opened, revealing seven or eight dark, eerie bones

The current price of grain is 8 wen per pound, with a yield of 300 pounds per mu. At 10 wen, it is neither expensive nor cheap. Wang Shouye found it unnecessary to resist at this time, so he paid the money and entered the city

"Well, our two families have been trading for many years, so I will offer a straightforward price of 120 taels. How does that sound?" Manager Gao carefully examined it and realized that it was indeed genuine, as he spoke.

At this moment, the busy owner behind the counter chuckled and said, "There are quite a few people, but compared to before, it really is a bit less. In the past, we could truly say there were many people, which improved business in our county by several degrees."

He hurried to the back door of the pawnshop and knocked loudly. After a short while, the door opened. The attendant, upon seeing him, couldn't help but twitch his face and muttered to himself, "I should have checked the almanac before going out today; how did I end up in this bad situation."

Zhang Longtao fanned himself with a folding fan, listening to the crackling sounds. After a moment, he understood, raised his face, and coldly stared outside, a hint of a cruel smile at the corner of his mouth, slowly saying: "Hehe, I have figured it out."

mhetushu.com is me, Gao Bo

Having spoken, he mounted the horse, and with a flick of the reins, the horse's hooves kicked up a cloud of dust in the air

I heard that participating in the River God Festival can earn you ten taels of silver, a worker said enviously

The house servant, seeing his young master with a gloomy expression, could not help but silently lament; this was hardly a time for receiving guests. This young master was infatuated with pleasure, much like the River God of Yishui, having grown tired of the courtesans in the brothels. Ever since he went hunting at Yunyan Mountain a few months ago and fortuitously encountered Xie Xiang, he became fixated on the idea of pursuing a female Taoist priest, a novelty he had never experienced before. Consequently, he has been sending gifts continuously over the past few months, all of which have been declined by Xie Xiang.

Speaking of which, after returning, he took out a box. Upon opening the box, a dazzling golden light emerged, revealing a total of twelve golden leaves, each weighing one tael of gold, which was worth a total of one hundred and twenty taels of silver

At this moment, Zhang, the assistant, stared intently and, with a shift in his gaze, said: "Shopkeeper, such a large figure, should we wait until my uncle arrives to discuss it?"

"Oh, it's you!" The speaker is a middle-aged man, the shopkeeper Gao.

The boss straightened up, flipped through the account book with his hand, and said: "That is the money for risking one's life. In the previous instances, they all died cleanly. Look, this time it is likely that no one will escape either"

Wang Shouye did not even glance at him, only speaking to the shopkeeper: "This time the goods are a bit more than usual, I wonder if you can take charge of it."

Zhang Longtao, lost in thought, suddenly heard these words, and a flash of inspiration crossed his mind. He immediately understood everything clearly and shouted, "You bastard, how could she be someone you can look at? Ten slaps to the face."

Ah, this is the bone of a century-old tiger, it has almost attained a spirit of its own. It was originally sold in small quantities, but now, are you planning to sell it all?

Upon entering the shop, the owner quickly smiled and bowed, saying: "It is the Third Young Master. Have you come in for the chilled watermelon... both sandy and sweet!"

This delicate gold bracelet and jewelry, which she usually does not wear, must be part of her dowry. Having pawned her dowry, it is naturally her senior brother who came to her rescue

The city guard spoke, and the attitude of the city guard was merely ordinary

With a crack of the whip in the air, he smiled and said, "Wangcai, go to the pawnshop and have a chat with the shopkeeper, see what she is pawning."

Glancing at Wang Cai, he said: "Listen carefully, everyone. Split up immediately. I will take one person to the magistrate's house, Wang Cai, you take some people to Captain Zhang's house, and you go to the Li family."

This young gentleman is quite decent, with a fair complexion, adorned with a silver crown, his hair neatly arranged without a single strand out of place. He is dressed in a blue robe and rides his horse with agility, clearly indicating a certain background, not merely a facade. However, this young gentleman is currently in a rather poor mood, his expression dark and sullen

Ancheng County is under the control of the Wei Marquis, and it administers six counties, among which Yunyan County is one.

This displeased young gentleman is Zhang Longtao, the third son of the county magistrate. He is a local ruffian in this county, but due to his background from an official family, no one dares to call him that.

Looking out, one could see a group of people rushing down the street. A young gentleman rode proudly on horseback in the middle of the street, followed by four attendants, while passersby hurriedly made way.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wang Shouye took out the package. At that moment, a sharp voice was heard: "Ah, Wang Shouye, you are here again. What do you want to sell today?"

This time is no different; I have long investigated the details of Xie Xiang. I know that although the Dayan Temple has fallen into decline, it is not yet to this extent. If it were solely for the sake of making a living, it would definitely not reach this level

Although Zhang Longtao is the third young master, the family has strict rules, and these followers do not dare to act recklessly