I am grateful to Your Excellency, ahem, it is actually convenient for me to go home for lunch.”Hearing that Governor Zhou invited him to join him for lunch, Sheriff Zhang busily bowed and thanked Governor Zhou, then paused and lowered his head to excuse himself.
“Ah, Sheriff Zhang, there is no need to be polite or formal, although you and I are subordinate, but it’s a casual lunch now, it’s not an errand.”Zhou Houjie smiled and said to Sheriff Zhang.
Er, I look as if it is not polite and formal ah ……
Zhu Pingan looked at the side of the two interaction, did not say, but the heart some strange feeling, just looked at the expression of Zhang sheriff, seems not like Zhou Houjie said as polite and formal, but a little like ……The feeling of dislike ah, with a once bitten by a snake ten years afraid of a well rope.
“Your Excellency’s lesson is right, my humble servant will not be polite.”Zhang sheriff arched his hand and said.
“Hmm, well, go ahead and order the cooks to come over and have a meal together right after.”Zhou Houjie nodded with a smile.
“Yes, my lord.”Sheriff Zhang answered and retreated, going to the mess hall to arrange for the cooks in the courtroom to add more food.
“Let’s go, Zi Hou, let’s go to the house for a few moments.”Zhou Houjie smiled and reached out to make a gesture of invitation before pulling Zhu Pingan straight towards the lobby.
The Shun Tian Fu Yamen was five rooms wide, with a platform in front of the hall, although it appeared to be outdated, it was magnificent and high and majestic. In the middle of the hall is a black lacquer case, behind the case is the background screen of the red sun out of the sea, above the hall hangs the “mirror hanging high” plaque, both sides of the hall is decorated with “silence”, “shun”,”Yasheng worship officer” and other plaques, hanging in front of the hall, a couplet “justice and prison, joints are not clear, since the weather is Yanluo; relief, compassion, still the Bodhisattva’s heart.”The just and majestic but not lose the thoughtful love of the people, will be the attitude of the official, responsibility and love of the people, pro-people, and the outside of the couplet has the same wonderful, should also come from the Zhou Zhifu’s handwriting.
Zhou Zhifu pulled Zhu Pingan from the lobby to the second hall, the second hall is Zhou Houjie daily office place, the government office “officials, households, rituals, military, criminal and industrial” six office institutions are around the second hall around the distribution of the six rooms, six rooms of the Xu Xu officials have come out of the sound of salute to Zhou Houjie, Zhou Houjie nodded in response to the lead Zhu Pingan walked to the second hall.
Entering the second hall, Zhou Houjie told Zhu Pingan to take a seat at his leisure, got up and took down the teapot from the small charcoal stove, and poured a cup of tea for Zhu Pingan and brought it over.
Zhu Pingan got up and left his seat, accepting the cup of tea with both hands.
“The visitor is a guest, Zi Hou you just sit down.”Zhou Houjie said with a smile.
After resuming his seat, Zhu Pingan observed the second hall where Zhou Houjie’s office was located, this place was arranged like a study by Zhou Houjie, several bookshelves were filled with books, there were the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as legal books such as the Regulations of the Datang Laws and Ordinances, the Regulations of the Daming Laws and Ordinances, the Laws and Decrees, the Continuation of the Letters of Marque, and the Three Editions of Laws and Laws. Judging by the colour of the books and the degree of folding of the page numbers, these books were often pored over.
On the desk spread a piece of rice paper, the ink is also well studied, rice paper written half ……Just now Zhou Houjie should be here to write things, write to half heard himself come and went out.
“Disturbing your lordship’s office.”Zhu Pingan said apologetically.
“No harm, a few moments by candlelight tonight is enough.”Zhou Houjie waved his hand unconcernedly, then moved to clear up the table to facilitate the meal later.
“Zi Hou, I have already read the pleadings you wrote, this matter will be handed over to this official, this official will definitely find out.”After clearing the table, Zhou Houjie said to Zhu Pingan.
“Thank you, Your Excellency, for taking the lead for Ping An.”Zhu Pingan arched his hand and thanked him.
“This is my official’s part, why is Zi Hou so necessary. This official and you hate each other, but it has nothing to do with today’s case, this case will be handled impartially by this official, and will not tarnish the clean name of the public court.”Zhou Houjie said with a straight face.
“Zi Hou believes in Your Honour.”Zhu Pingan smiled frankly.
Zhu Pingan appreciate is Zhou Houjie this point, Zhou Houjie is a person of principle, although more appreciative of their own, but public is public, private is private, he is not the kind of private waste of public people, this is also Zhu Pingan Zhou Houjie is very good place.
The distinction between public and private is simple to say, but difficult to do. People are born of parents, that do not have relatives and friends, and is not the wind and food, six roots are broken, that do not have feelings and desires, if it involves friends and relatives personal feelings, how many officials can do as if the water is still, impartiality? If everyone is the iron face and selfless Bao Zheng, then Bao Gong will not be famous.
Zhou Houjie couldn’t help but smile slightly, looking at Zhu Pingan with even more appreciation.
“Actually, for Zi Hou, this official is still very impressed. The matter of the zhouhou, not to mention others, even this official is afraid that he will also be hesitant and apprehensive.”Zhou Houjie nodded the table, mentioning the matter of the zhang folding.
“If it’s anyone else, then it’s just that, but if it’s your lordship, Ping An believes that your lordship will be quicker than Ping An to submit the zhang.”Zhu Pingan shook his head and joked.
“That’s not necessarily true.”Zhou Houjie smiled and shook his head.
Just at this moment, a sound of footsteps came from outside, and then he saw Sheriff Zhang walking over from outside carrying a food box, which was steaming and dispersing a smell of rice.
“My lord, the food is ready.”Sheriff Zhang walked over with the food box and said.
“Good, then let’s have our meal.”Zhou Houjie nodded at his words, then looked at Zhu Pingan and said, “Rough tea and light meal, Zi Hou don’t mind.”
“How could I, Ping An will disturb your lordship’s meal.”Zhu Pingan said.
Waiting for Zhang sheriff to open the food box and serve the meal on the table, Zhu Pingan realised that Zhou Houjie’s comment about the coarse tea and light meal was really not modest, and in addition, he also understood Zhang sheriff’s expression at the beginning.
Which, presumably, is really dislike.
The dinner table set up five dishes and a soup, five dishes and a soup sounds also very sumptuous, but the ear is not as good as a see, if you see this five dishes and a soup will not be so Jue, although the flowers and greens, a series of five plates together, and the middle of the soup is also a large bowl of ……
A plate of mung bean sprouts in vinegar, a plate of fried cabbage, a plate of cabbage boiled tofu, a plate of boiled peanuts, there is also a plate of pickled radish strips, knife work is good, radish strips cut very neatly, and sprinkled with some green onions on top.
In the middle is a big bowl of soup, but also the only meat dish of this table dish — crucian carp and tofu soup, soup inside there are two palm-sized crucian carp, it is estimated that ten ** this is the addition of the dish.
This is the lunch of a fourth-grade governor?
Zhu Pingan was a little stunned, then looked at Sheriff Zhang.
Sheriff Zhang smiled bitterly and gave Zhu Pingan an affirmative look, this was the third time he had lunch with Governor Zhou, he had realised it long ago.
“Come, don’t be polite, there are enough steamed buns.”Zhou Houjie greeted warmly.
“Is this what your lordship usually eats?”Zhu Pingan asked curiously, a little incredulous, to himself after winning the Lifted Man, the living conditions of his family had greatly improved, not to mention Zhou Houjie, the fourth grade Shuntian governor.
“It’s enough to have enough food and warmth.”Zhou Houjie said with a smile, then warmly greeted, “Zi Hou hurry to have your meal, this is Six Flavours Zhai’s tofu, it tastes best when eaten while it’s hot.”
“Ta-Jen Zhu, this is still the day you came, and Fu Zun added dishes.”Sheriff Zhang smiled bitterly and explained, “Your Excellency knows which dish was added today.”
“This Carp and Bean Curd Soup for sure.”Zhu Pingan said.
“Your Excellency Zhu is half right, in fact, this boiled peanut rice is also a dish added by His Excellency, His Excellency ordered the kitchen to prepare a meal for His Excellency before, thinking that it is only reasonable to have four dishes to treat a guest.”Zhang shook his head and smiled bitterly.
