defend the truth

It took Li Weizhen and Fu Jingzhang less than an hour to reach Fuchun City, but the time spent on the road after entering the city was several times longer.

The two entered the city through the south gate. There are three gates in the south of the outer city. Fu Jingzhang, the local snake, led the way, and they already picked the gate closest to Yanfeng District.After entering the city, he hurriedly rented a carriage, but despite this, it took a lot of time to walk through the busy traffic.

The land transportation in Fuchun City is very developed. In the center of each avenue, there is a two-way main road exclusively for carriages. Pedestrians who walk indiscriminately will be punished.But on both sides of the avenue, there are also roads dedicated to pedestrians, which are quite spacious.Every few miles, there are overpasses dedicated to pedestrians going to the other side of the avenue.

At the intersection of each road, a platform was also built, and the public officials in charge of the roads took turns to direct the carriages to change lanes.The carriage that needs to turn needs to wait for release at this intersection in advance, and time is spent on it.

This was the first time for Li Weizhen to see thousands of horse-drawn carriages galloping on the road, and he couldn't help feeling the prosperity of Fuchun City and the special humanities of this place.It is also a huge commercial city, but in his hometown Funan City, there is no such magnificent scene.Not to mention Fengcheng, Yangzhou, which is located in the Central Plains and has a completely different humanistic system.

But even Fu Jingzhang, who was born and bred, couldn't help saying apologetically: "The traffic in the city today is really congested!"

Of course, Li Weizhen also gave his understanding, because every once in a while, you can see the banners hanging on the buildings, which read something like "Warmly celebrate the No.70 [-]th "Seven Cities Business Exchange Conference" successfully held in Fuchun City !"

According to Fu Jingzhang's explanation, such a so-called conference would last at least half a month.There are countless business travelers in the seven major city-states, and there will be many rare and rare figures emerging, so it is quite lively inside and outside the city.

The bird's-eye view of Fuchun City is not like an ordinary town, surrounded by high walls on all sides.The outline of its outer city is irregular. For example, the urban area in the east spreads and protrudes a large area, while the urban area in the south, looking down from a high altitude, seems to be sunken.

As for the inner city, it cannot be peeped into. It is like a puddle of ink has been dripped in the center of a map, turning it into a mysterious unknown area.

On the whole, the area occupied by Fuchun City is much larger than that of Funan City, which has the same status and is only one word behind.Therefore, the traffic network here is more spacious and developed, and the houses do not need to be so dense and high.And there are many public landscape places, and the environment is much more beautiful.

However, the area under the jurisdiction of Funan City is much wider, occupying the entire peninsula, and the total population is also larger.Even the wealth of the people and the business environment are better.This is because it occupies the port at the same time and has a sea channel!Compared with inland cities, harbor cities have natural advantages in trade after all!

Li Weizhen, who had a general understanding of these things from Cai Ruoxian, was still proud of his hometown when he visited this giant city in a foreign land.This sense of identity is like being proud of being one of the Tai sects!

Fu Jingzhang did not take Li Weizhen directly to the alleys where Xia's family lived for generations, but to a place called "Huyuan" in Yanfeng District.This place is equivalent to the official Yamen in the Central Plains, but its duty is not to handle criminal cases.The role of the household courtyard is to govern the population in the city.

But all the people who live in the city need to settle here and apply for a household post.Even the purchase of a new property or the addition of a new person to the family must be recorded here.From time to time, people go door-to-door to check the population, which is called checking the family background, to prevent illegal households or tax evasion from hindering management.

In short, finding someone here is definitely much more accurate than looking through other people's family trees.

But since it is an official family, naturally not just anyone can go in and look for information.But Fu Jingzhang said that his former classmate and friend happened to work in Huyuan in Yanfeng District. He patted his chest and said: As long as you find someone, you will be fine.

The son of a merchant, good at entrusting relationships and finding ways, seems to be an innate ability since childhood.In this regard, Li Weizhen is not surprised, as long as he can get things done!

After coming to Huyuan, Fu Jingzhang met his former classmate and friend without going through many twists and turns.

A young man in a light blue official uniform, surnamed Lu, named Wangqing.He holds the position of chief clerk in Huyuan, and his status is not high, but he also manages seven or eight people under his command, which can be regarded as some power.

Originally, young people like Lu Wangqing, who had only been on the official career for only two years, and who were only from Juren, could only stay in the villages and towns, take up small errands, pass the qualifications or continue to take the exams before they can come to this place. Looking for an official position in the city.But thanks to Fu Jingzhang, a classmate and close friend who generously donated money, he managed to make connections with him through his family, so he made up for such a vacancy.

But this kind of thing can only be done once, if Lu Wangqing wants to climb up again in the future, he has to rely on his own ability.Because the higher the official position, the stricter the inspection from above.At that time, if one shot is shot down, many people will be implicated.In the past ten years, not to mention other places in Fuchun City, more than a dozen high-ranking officials have been killed in Yanfeng District alone.

After all, if the branches and leaves are rotten, you can either wait for them to wither, or cut them off with pain.But if the foundation is rotten, even a towering tree won't last much time!

Because, there is such a layer of relationship that is not enough to understand outsiders; therefore, after seeing Fu Jingzhang, Lu Wangqing was still very warm and polite.After inviting people into the study, I was busy making tea to reminisce about the old days.It's just that the taste of the tea is relatively ordinary. After all, the honesty of an official should be seen by others.

Li Weizhen just watched quietly as Fu Jingzhang and Lu Wangqing chatted passionately, and it was inevitable to say something in the scene of polite greetings.Even if you have a strong personal relationship, it is still not appropriate to order people to do things as soon as you come.Sesame mung bean officials are also local power holders after all, and some face should be given to others.

Having said that, this was the first time that Li Weizhen had such close dealings with bureaucrats in the mundane world.The time when he looked at the city lord of Funan City from afar was not counted.That Illusory Sword God Hou Tan Zhuohua, after all, is a long-established Jindan Sword Immortal, he can be regarded as a fellow, and he talks about the rules on the mountain.

Therefore, Li Weizhen did not disclose his identity as a monk, but only said that he was Fu Jingzhang's distant cousin.

Anyway, Fu Jingzhang said that he could handle everything well, so Li Weizhen naturally didn't want to make more troubles.

After Lu Wangqing found out about Fu Jingzhang's intentions, she left the study for a while, and when she came back, she brought an extra person with her, holding a thick stack of books.

This man also looked quite young, wearing Huyuan's standard clothes, but the patterns embroidered on the cuffs were not as delicate as Lu Wangqing's.Because of the gauze crown on her head, if it weren't for the pearl earrings on both earlobes, she would really be invisible at a glance. This is a pretty girl.

Of course, it wasn't all because of the green gauze crown. The stack of books held in front of his chest was a bit high.

After the girl put down the book, she was gently summoned out of the study by Lu Wangqing.

Only then did Fu Jingzhang jokingly say: "Yes, Mr. Lu, good luck is not shallow! But no, you are not too sympathetic? I have to tell you for my master. This is not what a gentleman would do!"

Lu Wangqing looked through the population files of the family surnamed Xia in the past 20 years, shook her head and smiled, "Don't think about it, Xiao Zhang, she is my colleague, and she is also from Juren, and her job title is: secretary of the study. We only have The job relationship is not as complicated as you think. Moreover, I didn't ask her to do this. She was just transferred here, and she had to learn everything from scratch. Seeing that I wanted to look for files, she offered to help Yes, this is self-motivated, do you understand?"

Fu Jingzhang was a little embarrassed when he heard that the other party was a female candidate, and his status in the scientific examination was higher than that of his little scholar, but he still smiled and said playfully: "You are near the water, you are self-motivated! I understand, I understand !"

Lu Wangqing just buried her head in silence, but Li Weizhen couldn't help thinking about it.It turns out that in the management structure of Fuchun City, there is still a woman's status, which is unheard of in his hometown, and it is even more impossible in the Central Plains.In the past, I always felt that the secular world was not very enlightened. It turns out that there are many places under the sun, which is very interesting!

You can't think that you have seen the whole world just through books, you should walk more, walk around!

"Hey, Xia Chan, I found it!" Lu Wangqing suddenly slapped the table and said with high spirits.

Li Weizhen immediately came back to his senses, and hurriedly said: "Which family is it?"

However, Lu Wangqing hastily offered an apology on his face, waved his hands and said, "I'm so sorry! I looked at the date of birth carefully, and I'm only seven years old this year!"

Li Weizhen was dumbfounded, Fu Jingzhang rolled his eyes helplessly, feeling ashamed for himself.

To express her apology, and also to increase efficiency, Lu Wangqing asked the two of them who had been waiting so hard to look through the confidential information.

But after digging through these books, the girl named Xia Chan found three people in the past 20 years.The ages of the two do not match. Although the age of one person is about the same, he was married last month. According to the information, he has moved out of the household post, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Very disappointed, very helpless, but when there is no follow-up clue through such a convenient way, what else can I do?

Suddenly, Li Weizhen gritted his teeth, and said to Lu Wangqing in a deep voice: "Dare to ask Mr. Lu, is there a way to find the information about the Fairy Fate Conference held by the Taiyi Sect in Fuchun City three years ago?"

Lu Wangqing froze on the spot, first looked at Li Weizhen again in horror, and then looked more suspiciously at Fu Jingzhang.The latter just returned a wry smile, expressing that it was hard to speak.

Afterwards, Lu Wangqing calmed down, and sighed softly: "It seems that Lu can only be indebted to the two of you for the wrong love today. Regarding the file of that level, it is not something that a small person like me can touch. If the two of you have the heart If you want to find it, maybe you have to see if there is a door in the inner city."

Li Weizhen nodded speechlessly, knowing that this was really difficult for some strong people.

Since there were no clues here, Fu Jingzhang didn't dare to waste any more time, so he bid farewell to Lu Wangqing.And the latter insisted on sending the two of them out to Yimen as an apology.

Before leaving, Fu Jingzhang pulled Lu Wangqing aside, and said in a low voice, "Wangqing! If you see my parents someday, don't mention to them that you met me today! Or else , we have to sever justice!"

The friendship of more than ten years of cold and summer, when it comes to the four words "cutting the mat and judging righteousness", it is very serious.

Lu Wangqing was surprised and said: "Xiao Zhang, you haven't arrived home yet when you came back this trip? Could it be true that you eloped with your cousin like the rumors?"

Fu Jingzhang also said with a blank face: "What, elope? Is that what my family says about me?"

Lu Wangqing said frankly: "That's not true, it's just that since you ran away from home, your uncles and aunts have found our group of people who have made good friends with you. Later, I attended the class reunion a few days ago, and someone talked about this The thing is that your cousin's family found another better marriage for her. Your boy left his family business for the sake of a beautiful woman, eloped with his cousin overnight, and went to live together!"

"They also said that you are very talented! But I wouldn't believe it to death. You and Xiaofu are engaged in a marriage contract, and they are protected by the law here. If her family wants to regret the marriage, they have to go to the official first. Media Academy! I went to inquire, and they said there was no such thing at all!"

Fu Jingzhang said angrily: "What kind of messy class reunion, this kind of entertainment, I advise you to go less in the future. After so many years, you don't know what kind of rotten people they are? If it weren't for you becoming an official , those people won’t invite you at all! If they envy you, they might have to dig a hole for you!”

Lu Wangqing smiled and didn't add any more oil and salt to this, but said sternly: "Okay, let's not talk about that. Although, I don't know what kind of path you have chosen now, but if you have difficulties in the future, I will still help you." Hope you can come to me!"

Fu Jingzhang nodded and said, "Of course! If I'm not looking for you, who am I looking for? You are my best friend here!"

Just best friends here, not only friends.After probably thinking that sentence could be understood in this way, Lu Wangqing was relieved a lot.

After leaving Huyuan, although the results were not satisfactory, it was not without any gains.At least they don't have to knock on doors from door to door to disturb the people, and they all know that if they want to continue the investigation, they may go to the inner city to try their luck.

After returning to the carriage, the first thing Li Weizhen said was to ask Fu Jingzhang: "By the way, Xiaozhang, where do you live? I heard from Xiaofu that your family runs a restaurant, right? Is the business going well?" ?”

Fu Jingzhang said without hesitation: "My family is not here, it is in the Huafang District of Dongcheng. As for my family's business, of course it is crowded, the main reason is that the location is good, and the business will come naturally! The Huamanlou on Chunfeng Avenue is a landmark building !"

Speaking of this, Fu Jingzhang couldn't hide his proud expression.

After grasping enough information, Li Weizhen raised the corner of his mouth slightly, opened a small window in the car, and said to the driver outside: "Brother, please change the route to Huafang District, the location is Huamanlou on Chunfeng Avenue! "

The coachman said heartily: "Well! Sir, please sit still! Drive!"

Fu Jingzhang was stunned!