The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

On the official road outside the south gate of Bianliang, Yushi Zhongcheng Ouyang Xiu set off for Yangzhou surrounded by guards and horse troops. Fang Dutou led fifty horse troops to escort the bandit leader Shen Yaozu to Beijing. He thought he could take a rest when he came to the capital. But he didn't expect that everything that happened in Beijing left Monk Fang Dutou Zhanger puzzled and troubled.

Before Su Jin left, he told him that when he arrived in Bianliang, he would first go to the Sansi Yamen to find Yan Shu, and hand over the prisoner to Yan Shu; Now that the food has been taken back, it can be regarded as making up for it, but for Su Jin, Fang Dutou has changed from disdain to admiration in his heart.

If it were him, or anyone else, he would not have the guts to go up the mountain alone, and even take the bandit's nest from inside. Although Special Envoy Su is not very old, this person seems to have a kind of halo, like It's like a mystery, so people can't figure it out.

Of course, Yan Shu would not hand over the prisoner to Zhongshu or the Privy Council. This credit cannot be taken by the two governments. This point is very clear to him. I was sent to the Third Division to assist the Special Envoy of Food Affairs in handling errands. No matter who deserves the credit, it is also his own. So when Yan Shu ordered him to take the prisoner to the prison in Kaifeng Mansion, and ordered him to guard it, Fang had a headache. Not surprised.

However, that morning, a large group of people arrived. First, the privy envoy Du Yan led a group of people to the prison in Kaifeng Mansion to take Shen Yaozu away. When the immediate boss came to take him away, Fang Dutou naturally had nothing to say. Yan Shu It is said that without his permission, no one is allowed to visit and interrogate Shen Yaozu, let alone arrest the prisoner.

Although Fang Dutou felt that letting Shen Yaozu be taken away by Du Yan in this way, Yu Yanshu would definitely not be able to justify it, but the official rank crushed people, let alone more than one rank, and the Privy Envoy was the highest officer of all the troops in the Song Dynasty , although it is in name, other procedures are needed to mobilize troops, but it is still easy to kill this little capital.

Fang Dutou made a few symbolic arguments, but he was naturally reprimanded in exchange for it; from what the privy envoy said, it seemed that he already knew about Ma Jun's loss of food, and there was a kind of pursuit in his words. The meaning of their responsibility, Fang Du was completely overwhelmed, and in the end he could only watch Du Yan take Shen Yaozu away.

But as soon as the privy envoy left, Yan Shu and Ouyang Xiu rushed to pick him up, Fang Du was dumbfounded, after Yan Shu understood the matter clearly, he pointed at Fang Du's nose and cursed, and at the same time chased after him with his hands go down.

Fang Du was so depressed that he was dying, and he became a mouse in the bellows - he was angry at both ends, both of them were his mother's high officials, and they were all jittery bastards, he couldn't offend anyone, and he was cursing himself , the words of one of the horse army squad leaders under him reminded him.

"Dutou, what should we do now? I'm afraid this matter will not work out. Blocking both ends is not the solution. We must quickly think of a regulation."

"Fuck your sister, what can I do? They are as ruthless as a bandit, who can I offend?"

The commander of the horse army was not discouraged, and said: "Master Sansi led people to chase him down. If he catches up, there may be some entanglement. Both sides are leading soldiers. What if there is a fight? We can't get rid of the relationship." ah."

Fang Du nodded, "Then what do you say?"

"Why don't we go and have a look, if it doesn't work, let's snatch Shen Yaozu back, and no one will give it back, so the two adults won't be able to fight?"

"Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey? It's too much for me to offend one, but you want me to offend both of them? Dare I disobey the orders of the two adults?"

"You can't say that. Now that both sides have been offended, how bad can it go? We must not offend the third person."

"Who is the third?"

"Hey... Special Envoy Su, why did you forget him? Since the Privy Council and the Third Division want to arrest people, it's not good for anyone, and we are afraid that they will turn their faces in a fight. Why don't we just go and grab people, just say Special Su? The envoy said, this is an important criminal, and no one can be mentioned unless there is an imperial edict. Anyone who has the emperor's imperial edict will come to arrest him. If you bring an imperial decree to mention people, there is nothing to say on the other side, and we have nothing to do with it. Although it will inevitably make some people unhappy, we are following the rules, and we are not afraid of shadows. , there is nothing we can do about it.”

"Okay, Old Liang, that's a good idea. I didn't expect you to have this ability."

"Hey, this bastard was forced. To be honest, the two concubines in the family are making trouble all day long. Every time I bring some jewelry home, these two little girls will fight and grab it. Who will I be?" I can't offend them, so I let the madam decide, whoever the madam tells, those two girls don't even dare to fart. .”

"Hehehe, what a fucking ingenuity. Why didn't I realize this trick? All the women in my family are also virtuous, and they can't secretly give it to the second child. If she shows it off, I will give it to the second child." The third child sees that the third child will have to fight with me for a month, or your method will work, and the madam will settle everything, if you offend the eldest wife, you will get out of your mother's way."

"That's the reason, let's now..."

"Get on the horses all, and recover the criminals. Let's hurry up, don't hurt anyone, mention the criminals, and leave after speaking clearly." Ma Du nodded.

The horsemen yelled to get on their horses, and they galloped for less than a cup of tea. From a distance, they saw the people on the street hiding their faces and running away, stumbling, baskets and baskets rolling all over the ground, crying for their parents and mothers.

Fang Du rolled his head and rolled his eyes. These two masters are really not reserved enough. Seeing that they were really on the road, they started to do it. They urged their subordinates to rush forward. On the square in front of Taiping Xingguo Temple, two groups of people were fighting like cocks. , Yan Shu, Ouyang Xiuxiu and Du Yan stared at each other with beards blowing, their mouths murmured and they didn't know what they were talking about; the entourage brought behind them all had noses or eyes, and they would rush up to snatch people as soon as they gave an order .

Among all the people, Shen Yaozu is the most leisurely. Although he has suffered a lot and his hair is disheveled and dirty, he looks at the two groups of people with a smile on his face, and his mouth is still agitating: "Just talk and don't fight, you are all Ladies? Ah ha ha, fight, fight."

Fang Du felt courageous and shouted loudly: "Sir, stop!"

Fifty riders arrived, and Du Yan said happily, "It's just in time to come, clear the way for me, and help me escort the bandit chief back to the Privy Council."

Fang Du scratched his head and said, "Master Privy Envoy, I am not here to help you with a humble position."

Du Yan was stunned, and Yan Shu laughed loudly and said, "Secretary Du, look, even your subordinates know that it's against the rules for you to mention criminals privately, so don't insist on handing over criminals to me. The official didn't say a word in front of the emperor."

"Damn! Why doesn't my Privy Council have the right to interrogate criminals? This bandit chieftain was captured with the assistance of my Privy Council's horse army, and dozens of people were injured for this. I just want to ask for details. Yan Shu, don't stop me from doing it." Difference."

Yan Shu chuckled and said, "Fang Dutou, do it. The prisoner was thrown from your hands. It's better for you to hand it over to me now."

Fang Du scratched his head again and said, "I'm sorry, Lord Sansi, I'm not here to help you get back criminals."

Yan Shu and Ouyang Xiu were also stunned. Du Yan laughed hilariously, pointed at Yan Shu and said, "Are you out of your mind? You actually expect people from my Privy Council to help you snatch people away. We'll be exhausted. After a while, my people will swarm you." And, when the time comes, let’s see whether it’s the weak officials in your third division’s yamen who can’t carry their hands or shoulders, or the imperial guards under my Privy Council, hahaha.”

Fang Du stepped forward immediately, cupped his hands to Du Yan who was laughing openly, and said, "Master Privy Envoy, I've offended you."

Du Yan's smile stagnated, and he said, "What are you doing?"

Fang Dutou yelled: "Do it, take back the prisoner!" At the same time, he cupped his hands and said: "Three adults, I have offended you, but I forgot to mention it. When I came, the special envoy of Su told me that the bandit leader Shen Yaozu is an extremely important person, whoever wants to bring someone up must ask the emperor to issue an order to bring him up for interrogation according to the order, the humble job is the emperor dispatched to assist Su's special envoy, he dare not disrespect the special envoy's order, please two Forgive me, my lord."

Under Du Yanyanshu's astonished eyes of Ouyang Xiu, the soldiers of the horse army easily snatched Shen Yaozu back.

Fang Du cupped his hands and said: "I have offended you, gentlemen, don't be angry, this is an errand, I don't dare to be sloppy with a lowly position, the adults are going to ask for the imperial decree, and the lowly level is waiting in the prison of Kaifeng Mansion."

After finishing speaking, he turned his horse's head and left with all the horse troops.

Yan Shu and Du Yan stared at each other for a long time without finding anything, Ouyang Xiu said with a smile: "It seems that I am the only one who has the right to mention the criminal, so I will ask for an order."

Both Du Yan and Yan Shu knew that the presiding judge of the case had been handed over to Ouyang Xiu by Zhao Zhen in the early court, and only he could invite the imperial decree, and everyone else would be in vain.

Du Yan yelled angrily: "Su Jin, what kind of thing, what kind of spectacle is he putting on, he really regards himself as a character."

Yan Shu smiled and said: "Don't tell me, he is really a character, Privy Du, I have a lot of things in the yamen, so I don't need to accompany you. We are all trying to fetch water from bamboo baskets, so our busy work is wasted." people leave.

Du Yan's teeth itched in anger, and he cursed at Su Jin, Fang Dutou, and Yan Shu. After tossing for a long time, he could only leave bitterly.