Chapter 40: Decisions Against the Ancestors (Part 2)

The Zhang family's main residence was located in the center of Pingyang Town.

It was surrounded by four inner wards, eight middle wards, sixteen outer wards, and twenty-seven miscellaneous wards.

If the rest of the town was the body of a giant, then it was the giant's brain.

Its scale was as magnificent as the palace where a prince handled government affairs.

It was only because the houses were built low and there were no ritual vessels or royal flags that it did not exceed the regulations.

The whole mansion had many gates.

In addition to the main gate, which was only opened to welcome imperial decrees or high officials of the third rank or above, or visits from heads of noble families of commandery rank or above.

There were four side gates for welcoming visits from main officials of the seventh rank or above.

And eight side gates that were not closed at night.

This day, early in the morning.

Zhang Gui came to the side gate of the "Ministry of Agriculture" of the Zhang family's main residence and handed in his name card.

Several gatekeepers were old hands; after dealing with the stewards who came to work early in the morning, they began to stretch and scratch lazily.

The gatekeeper whose turn it was to hand in the card was a middle-aged fat uncle, who held Zhang Gui's name card and said with a cold face:

"It's already the 21st of the twelfth lunar month and you're still handing in a card to find a job; is it that urgent?"

This was actually a hint for Zhang Gui to give a tip.

And with Zhang Gui's brain, he naturally knew, so he took out a tael of silver and quietly stuffed it into the fat uncle's hand.

"Forgive me, forgive me.

Yesterday, the elder in the family said that he found me a head clerk position in the 'Ministry of Agriculture.'

Let me report for duty immediately.

He said that the clan's business with the imperial merchant Shuanghu Rong family needs some capable hands to finish the tail.

That's why I'm busy even though it's almost the end of the year."

Hearing this, the gatekeepers around all widened their eyes, and their laziness tightened involuntarily.

The fat uncle turned into a sunflower instantly, smiling and saying:

"Oh, oh, I have poor eyes, a dog's brain, didn't recognize which young master you are from.

Please wait a moment, wait a moment.

I will hand in your card immediately."

Zhang Gui looked like a teenager of fifteen or sixteen, clearly just starting to do things.

Starting directly as a head clerk, and also going to handle the most important business in the clan now, the contact with the Rong family.

This might be the baby god from which temple, wanting to gild himself and mix for qualifications.

Who would dare to neglect someone who could offend such a character, perhaps their parents could mention a word and dismiss the gatekeeper's job.

But who knew that after the fat uncle handed in the name card, none of the stewards in the "Ministry of Agriculture" wanted to summon Zhang Gui.

It seemed as if this matter was fake.

But if you say it's fake, the personnel steward immediately picked up a head clerk waist token that had been prepared long ago from the table and ordered:

"Give the waist token to the person who came.

Let him go to 'Wangbei Manor' to find head clerk Zhang Bazhen to handle the business."

"Yes." The fat gatekeeper was confused and couldn't guess Zhang Gui's background and weight.

Although he was not very smart, he had been a gatekeeper for many years, so he naturally had a scale in his heart.

Better to break the cane of a sixty-year-old man than to kick the crotch of a sixteen-year-old boy.

A teenage head clerk, no matter what, was someone he couldn't afford to offend.

So after the fat uncle got the waist token, he ran back to the side gate without delay.

He handed the waist token to Zhang Gui respectfully,

"My lord, please keep your waist token well.

The stewards in the room have big things to discuss, so they didn't summon you in.

But they left a message.

Let you go to 'Wangbei Manor' to find head clerk Zhang Bazhen, and you will naturally know what business to handle."

"Looking for 'Wangbei Manor,' good, good, I just wanted to go there."

Zhang Gui's eyes lit up when he heard this, and after taking the waist token, he took out another tael of silver from his sleeve and stuffed it to the fat uncle.

"Gatekeeper uncle, you gave me a good omen.

I will treat you to a small drink, thank you, thank you."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Gui was so open and Jianghu-like even though he was a teenager, so the fat uncle laughed sincerely and bowed sincerely: "Then I thank you, my lord.

I wish you a bright future."

Zhang Gui laughed loudly when he heard this: "That's not necessary.

Gone."

He turned and walked away with big strides.

The fat uncle happily put away the silver, stretched, and continued to stretch and chat with other gatekeepers.

And for Zhang Gui, getting the waist token meant he was on duty.

He showed his waist token at the clan stable, directly led away an old date-red horse, and walked toward the town.

In winter, a biting wind blew near the sea.

Compared to yesterday, when the weather was cold but there was no wind or clouds, and the sun was warm on the body, it was much harder to endure.

The pack horse Zhang Gui rode was not as energetic as a prime big horse, but its pace was steady and slow, just right for handling short-distance business.

However, because his riding skills were not good, he could only slow down when he went against the wind out of the town.

Walking on the horse's back with his head down and swaying, Zhang Gui heard someone shouting behind him:

"Hey, kid, do you know how to ride a horse? You're running slower than a pig.

Be careful and watch the road, don't let our large army collide and scare the horse, and fall to your death."

"Xu Huzi, you barbarian, how can you curse people like this during the New Year, be careful of losing virtue.

Little brother, don't take it to heart; my peer is rough and kind, often saying good things in a bad way, don't blame, don't blame."

Zhang Gui turned his head to look behind him and opened his eyes wide.

It turned out to be several hundred young slaves walking to Wangbei Manor, guards pressing them, and dozens of ox carts and over a hundred pack horses accompanying them.

The one shouting at Zhang Gui was one of the guard leaders.

With a big head and a square brain, and a face full of sideburns, he was riding on a tall horse, looking left and right, very majestic.

And the one who stopped him from shouting was another guard leader.

A thin middle-aged man, smiling before speaking, looked very kind, but his eyes were cold when looked at closely.

Zhang Gui naturally wouldn't let go of this good opportunity, turned his horse's head, showed his waist token, and opened his mouth:

"I am Zhang Gui.

The head clerk just transferred to Wangbei Manor by the Pingyang Zhang family.

I haven't ridden a horse before, so I blocked everyone's way, don't blame, don't blame."

"Sigh, you are the head clerk of the Pingyang Zhang family?

Don't the names of the main family figures of the Pingyang Zhang family all have numbers like 'one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine' in the middle?

You are a head clerk at such a young age, how can you not even be a main family member.

Could it be a liar."

This was naturally asked by the big-headed beard with an unusually cheap mouth.

Zhang Gui had already entered the role, didn't feel angry in his heart, but pretended to be angry, took out his waist token and threw it to the beard, and said expressionlessly:

"Big brother truly has a cheap mouth.

My father's name is Zhang Bashan, and he is about to serve as the compassionate agriculture envoy for the surrounding villages.

It's just that my mother is not his wife, so my name has two characters.

Perhaps after doing a good job in 'Wangbei Manor,' it can be added to three characters.

That's why I care twice as much about this duty, and wanted to say hello to the two of you early.

As for the authenticity of the identity.

The waist token of our Pingyang Zhang family has dark patterns and floating text; after dealing with each other for two or three months, I expect the two of you also know.

Why not take a look and distinguish the truth from the false.

However, I have never heard of any liar daring to impersonate our Zhang family within a hundred miles of Pingyang Town.

Although the 'Vertical and Horizontal Book' technique is mediocre, it can also kill people."

This was reasonable and well-founded, and even the background of his father was told, and the authenticity was explosive.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 41 =====