Chapter 194: Station

Zhili, Shuntian Prefecture, Wuqing Post Station.

The postmaster Zhang Fu'an drank peanuts, half a bowl of roast duck, and drank wine. It was about to be the twelfth lunar month, and snowflakes were sprinkling outside, and the weather was getting cold. Fortunately, it was under the jurisdiction of the Beijing Prefecture and a large post station. The charcoal and silver were abundant, and the room was burning hot.

Zhang Fu'an was in his forties. Because he had been a postmaster for a long time, he had a bigger vision. He could also distinguish the officials from the exchanges. He looked at those who wanted to be promoted and flattered him. He was in a good mood and would naturally be happy to reward silver. He did not easily neglect those who looked at the word "back". There were too many ups and downs in the officialdom. Just because he, a low-ranking postmaster, was not qualified to be snobbish.

As the door curtain was lifted open, a cold wind suddenly hit the outside and came in. Zhang Fu'an shook a sudden chill and said to the young man wearing the postman's clothes, "A hundred years old, close the door tightly. What's the matter with your uncle?"

The young man's name is Zhang Baishui, and he is Zhang Fu'an's nephew. Because his brother and sister-in-law left early, he kept him by his side.

Zhang Baisui pushed his feet hard, slashed the snow on his body, and said to Zhang Fu'an: "Uncle, I just went to hang lanterns. I saw someone coming from afar, calling from the south, or going to Beijing?"

"Damn, what do you mean?" Zhang Fu'an couldn't help but curse: "In this ghost weather, an admiral, a deputy general, two censors, three generals, and other criminals in Jiangning, why are there anyone coming?" Although he was nagging, he was still dressed neatly and went out to greet him.

Zhang Baisui looked at the kang table, grabbed a piece of duck meat and stuffed it into her mouth, and then quickly chased her uncle out.

Seeing that the other party was just a few carriages, Zhang Fu'an knew it was a small official who was so shabby. As expected, the other party got off the carriage and mentioned his identity, Chen Hongdao, the former governor of Qingyang Prefecture, has been removed from his post.

If he had encountered such a bad guy on weekdays, even though Zhang Fu'an was still polite on the surface, he would have slandered a few words in his heart. However, at this moment, he remembered that he came alone and looked at the two young men who were holding Chen Hongdao wearing mourning clothes. Knowing that he had expected it was good, he couldn't help but feel respectful and said, "It turns out to be Chen Futai. I hope Shuxiao is rude. Is this going to Beijing to pick up the bones of Wang Gongren?"

In fact, he didn't have to be so polite when dealing with a magistrate like Chen Hongdao, but he just remembered the "killing case" that caused a lot of controversy two months ago. Before entering Beijing, Wang also stopped at the post station. He was an extremely regular and decent wife. It was already rare to go to Beijing to file a lawsuit, let alone expressing his husband's innocence, and how could blood not be admired?

When Chen Hongdao heard the other party mention his deceased wife, his eyes turned red and he said hoarsely: "That's true! I've been dismissed from office and shouldn't have come to disturb the post station anymore, but it's dark now and I can't enter the county town, so I have to come here for convenience."

Zhang Fu'an waved his hand: "You are kind to you, but now there are many officials coming and going, and I have taken advantage of the room. Please feel wronged for one night. If you leave tomorrow, I will help you change it."

Chen Hongdao hurriedly thanked him solemnly. Just as Zhang Fu'an was about to instruct his nephew to take the Li family to the side courtyard, he heard the sound of horse hooves "Dede" sounds, and the shadows seemed to be coming.

Zhang Fu'an couldn't help but want to curse, what's wrong with this today? Where did the generals come from to Beijing? They are the most impatient with these military positions. They all bring their own soldiers, and they are all awesome, the most awesome, and the old man. If they are not in tune with the service, they will be kicked.

Zhang Baisui stood behind his uncle, and his heart was also ups and downs. He couldn't help but stretch out his hand to touch his face. The unrestrained slap mark was the "reward" given by the deputy general who came from Zhejiang before dinner.

Just because the deputy came late, all three rooms were occupied by the admiral and general who went to Yunnan to take office. His official position was lower than those three, so of course he did not dare to provoke him, so he spread his anger on the people on the post station.

Although Chen Hongdao wanted to urge the postmen to bring him and others to the place, he could not help but avoid the fact that when he was not able to speak, he ordered his family to retreat aside and leave the gate of the postmen.

The first ones were two young men dressed up, both wearing thick cotton clothes and jumping off their horseback. Because there were lanterns at the entrance, the young man looked around the door, recognized Zhang Fu'an's clothes and said, "My uncle is the newly promoted Lord Tai Cao of Dongyan Road, Shandong. Now I will take my family back to my hometown to visit relatives. I will ask Lord Yicheng to arrange a clean residence for you!"

When Zhang Fu'an heard that it was a Taoist platform, he felt relieved and responded with a smile. Seeing Chen Hongdao and others standing aside, the cold wind was very weak, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. So what if he was a clean official? Since he found such a big case and got rid of several governors' consuls, who would allow him to become an official? He hurriedly asked his nephew to lead them to settle it.

I stood under the lantern and waited for a while before the convoy arrived.

Seeing the 30 and 40 guards accompanying him, protecting seven or eight carriages, Zhang Fu'an couldn't help but curse in his heart: "Damn, a fourth-rank dock platform is even bigger than the governor's sensation?"

Seeing two noble men wearing fur clothes dismounting, their appearances were vaguely similar, Zhang Fu'an was secretly shocked. Look at his clothes, this platform was either a corrupt official, or he was not from an ordinary family.

Since we are going back to the south to visit relatives, was it the Lianghuai Salt Merchants family? Although he was thinking about it, he smiled and bowed: "I guess these two are the Taoist princes. Zhang Fu'an, the chief minister of Wuqing, also asked the Taoist prince to help introduce the Taoist prince!"

"Young Master of Taoism?" The boy next to him had not yet spoken, but he had already laughed out loud: "If you want to meet the Lord of Taoism, isn't it right in front of you? How can you introduce him?"

Zhang Fu'an was stunned when he heard this, looked behind his brothers. A carriage was parked several meters away. It seemed that the Taoist Master was in the car. He nodded to the two "Taoist Masters" and trotted towards the carriage.

The two "Daotai Young Masters" were surprised. When they turned around, Zhang Fu'an had already bowed in front of the carriage and said, "Wuqing Postmaster Zhang Fu'an has seen Cao Daotai!"

This "Cao Daotai" not only caused the "Daotai Young Master" who had just spoken out to burst out laughing, but even the guards on both sides of the carriage couldn't help laughing.

Zhang Fu'an was so upset that he was laughing that he was uneasy. He didn't know what was wrong and was still thinking about it. He heard a female voice coming from the carriage: "Mr.!"

Where did the "E-san" come out? Zhang Fu'an was still confused, and heard someone behind him respond: "I'm here, we're at Wuqing Post. If you bear it, I'll ask the postmaster to help us arrange it!"

Zhang Fu'an then woke up. This "家" is the name of the noble lady husband of the royal family and the royal family. Then isn't the noble man in this carriage? When he looked up, wasn't it? The red carriage, red cover, red curtain, red curly, and soapy edge of the princess was the carriage regulated by the princess.

Zhang Fu'an was thinking about whether to kneel down to pay his respects immediately, but he just responded to the man: "Zhang Yicheng, here is Cao Yong, the guard road on Dongyan Road, and bring his family back to his hometown. Please arrange your residence!"

A princess had already surprised Zhang Fu'an. Now he was watching the young man who was not as young as the youngest, saying that he was a fourth-grade Taoist platform. Suddenly, as if he was enlightened, he thought of a possibility, that is, this group of people came from unknown sources and pretended to be royal relatives, but did not know what they meant. Then he thought, and felt that it was impossible. Before he left Shuntian Mansion, he had all been in the official position from the capital. Even a bad person could not be so arrogant.

But Zhang Fu'an was a little worried after all, and said with a smile: "The officials have met Lord Cao. This is because there are many officials coming and going today and all the rooms are full. Otherwise, you can take the road first to borrow the officials. The officials will discuss with the admiral in the upper room to see if they can give up the two generals who came with him to a yard, so as to avoid the grievances of the nobles!"

This "noble man" refers to the person in the carriage. If the carriage is really a princess, not to mention a second-rank general, even if he should be given a first-rank admiral, he should be given up even if he should be given a first-rank admiral. If the carriage is not a princess, then everything is not arranged by the admiral, so he will not do anything like his little postmaster.

Cao Yong glanced at the postmaster and ordered the two seniors who had arrived before: "You two, follow Zhang Yicheng to visit the Admiral!"

The two elders bowed and saw another noble man saying, "Why are you so nagging? You are so uneasy when you live in a broken station. If you had known this, you would have to rest in the county town in front! Wu Mao, Wu Sheng, you two made it clear to the admiral, hurry up and get the house!"

Hearing that the other party seemed to be not even taking the admiral seriously, Zhang Fu'an believed that the person sitting in the car was indeed the princess, otherwise why would he be so arrogant?

After leaving the door, Zhang Fu'an took the Wu brothers to the backyard and asked as he walked: "I dare to ask the two guys, which noble man is leaving Beijing?"

Wu Sheng heard this and replied, "Hey, why can't you listen to your postmaster? Didn't we just say it? It's my uncle, the newly appointed Shandong Dongyan Road Road Station!"

Zhang Fu'an laughed awkwardly and said, "The official asked me that he was the person in the car!"

Wu Sheng couldn't help rolling his eyes: "Then you have to ask, of course he is the mistress of our mansion!"

Wu Mao heard Zhang Fu'an's intention of inquiry, and this was nothing that could not be said to outsiders, so he said, "We are from the second-class man in the Cao Zhizao Mansion of Jiangnan. Our grandson is the princess of the Count's mansion. He has the title of first-class man. Long lively, he personally ordered the guard road for Dongyan. Now he is back to Jiangning to visit relatives. In the car, we are our heroine, the eldest princess of the Prince Chun's mansion, and the princess of the Imperial Palace."

Zhang Fu'an's heart trembled. Prince Chun's mansion is the prince's mansion. This big prince is the emperor's granddaughter. He is truly a golden branch and jade leaves. He can't blame the platform for being so young. He comes from the Earl's Mansion and marrys the princess. It seems that he is favored by the holy ones.

He was about to regret it, but he was a little rude before he knelt down to pay his respects, but he thought something was wrong. The inn came and went from north to south and talked the most. The Cao family in Jiangnan was prominent in the past few years, but I heard that it had declined in the past two years. How could it still be so glorious?

In the room at the inn, Yunnan Admiral Zhang Guzhen was sitting cross-legged on the kang, and with two subordinates, Wang Yigui, the general of Yongbei of Yunnan, and the general of Kaihua of Yunnan, were drinking around the hot pot.

It was also fate. These three people were newly appointed a few days ago. Admiral Zhang turned out to be the general of Huguang Town, General Wang was the deputy general of Yizhou, and General Yan was the deputy general of Yongchang. The three of them happened to go to Lu Yin to lead the Ministry of War on the same day, but they were colleagues. The military man did not have any particulars like civil servants, so they made an appointment to take office together.

I heard that the visitor was the eldest princess and the princess of the Prince Chun's mansion, and all three of them got off the kang. Admiral Zhang and General Yan were nothing, but they just thought about giving up the room and going to invite him. General Wang was a little at a loss. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he said, "There are white flags below. Prince Chun is the serious master who is below. Now he has drunk and greeted him, but he is a little disrespectful!"

Admiral Zhang is a Shangguan, so it is hard to say anything; General Yan is on the same level as him, and he cursed with a smile: "Look at your cowardly appearance, we are just asking for peace from afar, who else can we get angry?"

General Wang regretted it after saying that, because the wine was invited by Shangguan. He seemed to blame someone. Seeing Admiral Zhang's expression as usual, Fang smiled and said, "Hehe, I'm saying it, I'm saying it. Since I'm getting my master, I'm naturally going to buy the house. Brother Yan, I'm going to squeeze in your yard for one night!"

General Yan hurriedly said, "It's okay." General Wang called Changsui and sent him to the next yard, asking the followers and others to quickly make room for the nobles.

After Admiral Zhang and his friends arrived at the entrance of the inn and greeted the princess and Cao Yong, they surrounded the two of them and came up to the room.

Suddenly, a woman's call came from a distance: "Help, help!" The sound was extremely miserable, making people unbearable to hear it.

What is the reason? Everyone changed their color, and they heard the sound of urgent footsteps. Zhang Baisui ran over with blood on his face and said to Zhang Fu'an: "Uncle, it's not good, the kitchen..." Before he finished speaking, he thumped and fell to the ground.
Chapter completed!