The local officials were very adept at falsifying and concealing information. They reported two thousand rebels to the court, but in reality there were only a thousand.
"It's better to believe it than not to believe it. It's better to be careful."
Zhang Shixun nodded and said, "We'll soon reach Weishi. Let's find an open area to camp."
According to the military regulations of the Song Dynasty, soldiers were generally not allowed to enter the city when going to war.
As soon as we set up camp, local officials came to entertain the troops.
The county magistrate was a civil servant named Niu, and he was very capable in doing his work.
"Commander Zhang, we are here to honor our troops." Magistrate Niu said expressionlessly, pointing to the servants behind him. "We have sent you a pig and two lambs."
He stood there with his chin up, looking very arrogant, as if waiting for Zhang Shixun to salute him.
Zhang Shixun asked Gao Yanei with a stern face, "What rank is the county magistrate?"
"Eighth rank."
"Only an eighth-rank official?"
"There are also county magistrates of the seventh rank, such as the county magistrates of Kaifeng County and Xiangfu County."
Zhang Shixun raised his eyebrows, pointed at Magistrate Niu and asked Gao Yanei, "He's an eighth-rank official, why doesn't he show courtesy when he sees me, a seventh-rank official?"
Gao Yanei was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Zhang Shixun meant. He was looking for trouble, so he grinned and said cooperatively: "My surname is Niu, so I am good at doing things."
Magistrate Niu blushed and said angrily, "I am a civil servant."
"What's wrong with the civil officials?" Zhang Shixun looked surprised, then turned to ask Gao Yanei: "Is the eighth rank of a civil official higher than the seventh rank of a military official?"
Gao Yanei shook his head, "I've never heard of it."
Zhang Shixun's face darkened. "Come here! Get this Niu guy out of the barracks."
"Your honor!" Several soldiers came over and pushed Magistrate Niu out.
"How dare you! I am an official appointed by the imperial court, how dare you do this!" County Magistrate Niu slapped a soldier in the face.
Zhang Shixun was furious and ordered Hei Wuchang, "Go! Take him out!"
Hei Wuchang took a few steps to the front of County Magistrate Niu, grabbed his collar, picked him up and walked out of the camp gate.
Magistrate Niu struggled to his feet and shouted angrily, "Zhang Shixun, just wait! I'm going to report you!"
Zhang Shixun didn't bother to pay attention to him and said to the messenger, "Pass my order. From today on, no outsiders are allowed to enter the military camp."
After saying this, he returned to his tent with his hands behind his back.
He Ji followed in and sighed, "Shi Xun, you are reckless."
"It's okay, I did it on purpose." Zhang Shixun didn't care at all and pulled over a stool to sit down. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
"Did you do this on purpose?"
"I guess so. I get annoyed whenever I see this guy surnamed Niu... Damn it! He's just a civil servant, right? He's so arrogant! I don't understand why he's so arrogant in front of me. I'm a seventh-rank official, one level higher than him, and he doesn't even greet me. He must be so naive."
"Civil servants are popular nowadays, and we military officers are inferior to them. Even if we are one level higher, let alone two levels higher, we still won't be polite."
"This guy keeps saying he's here to reward the troops, but he only brought a pig and two sheep. With just these little things, it's not worth rewarding the troops at all."
Zhang Shixun was filled with dissatisfaction. "He didn't come to entertain the troops at all, but to humiliate us... Oh! By the way, quickly go and leave all the things he brought to me. Now that he has entered our military camp, he can't take them away."
"You chased everyone out, but you're still thinking about their things." He Ji was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Just as He Ji was about to leave, Gao Yanei came in, grinning so hard that his teeth were visible. "Brother, that County Magistrate Niu was so pissed off that he didn't even bother to get in his sedan chair when he went back. He just trotted back into the city. I guess he's busy writing a memorial to impeach you."
"Let him impeach me, I'm not afraid."
Zhang Shixun moved a small clay stove from the corner of the tent, threw a few pieces of charcoal into it, grabbed a handful of wheat straw, lit it with a fire starter, and carefully placed it under the clay stove.
"Brother, I know what you want to do." Gao Yanei came up to him and said in a nasty tone, "You are very unhappy, so you make things up to disgust them."
"You know shit! I kicked him out just because I was annoyed with that guy named Niu. I didn't have any other intentions." Seeing that the charcoal had been lit, Zhang Shixun took an iron pot, filled it with water and put it on the stove.
"So, I'm overthinking it?"
"Of course you're overthinking it. He's an eighth-rank official, and I'm a seventh-rank official. Why shouldn't he greet me when he sees me?" Zhang Shixun took out a piece of frozen mutton and placed it on a wooden board.
He pulled a dagger from his boot and began to slice the mutton.
He's been eating pot cakes and drinking mutton soup these days and is tired of it, so he wants to try something different.
Gao Yanei was attracted by the dagger, staring at it without blinking, and asked, "Brother, this short blade is quite good."
Of course it is good. This dagger was taken from Hei Wuchang. It is a multifunctional military dagger with multiple functions such as cutting, sawing, filing, and chopping.
By the way, Hei Wuchang carries a lot of good stuff with him. Zhang Shixun took inventory last night and found that the guy carries no less than twenty killing weapons with him, and this dagger is just one of them.
"Yanei, you are quite knowledgeable. This knife can be used as a saw and as scissors. Most importantly, it can cut iron like mud." Zhang Shixun quickly cut off thin slices of mutton.
"Brother, don't lie to me. Cutting iron like mud is just a legend."
Zhang Shixun stopped what he was doing and asked with a smile, "Yanei, you don't believe it?"
"I don't believe it!"
Zhang Shixun stretched out five fingers and shook them. "Fifty taels of silver, do you dare to bet?"
"Let's bet, but I need to find someone to be a witness to prevent you from cheating."
"Haha! Whatever you say."
Soon, He Ji was called in by Gao Yanei.
"Old He, the military commander boasted that his short sword could cut through iron like mud, but I didn't believe it, so I made a bet with him."
"How much is the bet?" He Ji liked Guan Bo, and when he heard the two of them making a bet, he immediately became interested.
"Fifty taels."
"It's a bit too little." He Ji shook his head, "This little money is not even enough to have a meal at Fanlou."
Gao Yanei asked, "Why? Do you want to get involved too?"
"Two hundred taels, I bet the commander's sword can't cut through iron like mud."
"Okay! Then two hundred taels." Gao Yanei said, looking at Zhang Shixun, "What do you think? Do you dare to bet?"
Zhang Shixun didn't even think twice and nodded, "Two hundred taels is two hundred taels. Anyway, if I stick my head out, I'll get a knife. If I hide my head, I'll get a knife too. Let's take the bet!"
Two hundred taels per person, that's four hundred taels. Of course, he would accept such unexpected money.
As for whether you will lose the bet, that doesn't exist.
Seeing that he agreed so readily, He Ji couldn't help but become suspicious. He hurriedly looked at the dagger in Zhang Shixun's hand. It was gray, but the workmanship was very delicate, and there were serrations on the back of the blade.
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