Chapter 415: The prefect is the king
Chapter 415: The prefect is the magistrate
The other courtyard of Magistrate Ma is located not far from Hongzhou Prefecture, and is just a neighbor. When you walk through a street, there is a majestic mansion on the west side of the mansion. There are two majestic stone lions on both sides of the mansion. Silk flowers are tied to the neck of the stone lion, which is eye-catching.
There were many busy servants entering and leaving the door of the mansion, and welcomed and saw the guests, served tea and water, and helped the guests park their cars, horses and sedan chairs, and were all happy.
The guests arrived in the sun. As the weather in Hongzhou reached late spring, it gradually became hotter, and even the ground was baking with heat. Although they were all wearing sweatshirts and shaking fans, most of them could not withstand the heat. Many people were already sweating profusely and used hand towels to sweat. Even so, when the guests arrived at the mansion, they still smiled and held their fists to present gifts.
As for Magistrate Ma, he had not yet appeared, and the important guests had already welcomed the main hall first. As for the others, he was too lazy to serve, and just sent a few guards from the yamen runners to welcome guests. He had been in office for two years, and it was logical that local officials would not build a villa while they were in office. This mansion was still a gift from others. He did not come here often, but today's birthday party, with many guests, and the backyard of the yamen was small, so he came here temporarily.
He accompanied the VIP and rushed back to the backyard. He ran into Ma Rulong and said to Ma Rulong: "What are you wandering around here? Why are you going to talk to a few guests?"
Ma Rulong smiled and said, "Dad, I'm giving you a birthday gift." He raised his hand and took out a jade pendant, saying, "This is what the child bought in the night market, please check it out."
Ma Rulong was quite proficient in the art of breaking jade. After closing his eyes and playing with it, he saw the clues and said, "I bought it from the night market? You have a little look. Okay, this gift is accepted by my father."
Ma Rulong said with a look: "But for this jade pendant, the child was almost bullied."
Magistrate Ma touched the jade in his hand and said lightly: "Bully? Who dares to bully you?"
"It's a few merchants, they are really hateful. Dad, you have to make the decision for your child."
"Customer!" Ma Taifu nodded: "Let's talk about it after the birthday party. As long as the person is still in Hongzhou, I'm not afraid of them running away." He leaned his hands lightly and was quite arrogant.
At this moment, Ao Changsui came over and said, "Sir, someone asked him to go at the door."
Prefect Ma said impatiently: "Who is it? Didn't you see that I am very busy?"
Changsui said ashamed: "Sir, they are several merchants. They said that there is a treasure to offer to celebrate the birthday of the adults, but they said that this treasure can only be taken out in front of the adults."
Ma Rulong said curiously: "What kind of treasure is so rare, but the child wants to see it."
Magistrate Ma was silent for a moment. Although he was very excited, he only thought that the gimmick that the merchant who wanted to curry favor with him had created to meet him. Although it was suspected of being sensational, this gift must be extraordinary and unique. Otherwise, he would not dare to show his ugly face easily. He said, "Like a dragon, come and see it."
Under Changsui's guidance, the father and son arrived at the mansion gate one after another. Ma Rulong's eyes were sharp. He saw from a distance that several people at the doorman looked familiar. He couldn't help but shout, "Dad, it's them, it's them who bullied the child."
Magistrate Ma had a calm face: "Rareless, why are you calling me? They are here to give gifts. In front of so many people, they don't hit people with smiles, and they are not allowed to call me."
Ma Rulong stopped screaming, followed Ma Ma obediently and stared at the three people opposite him fiercely, especially the young man with fair skin and elegant skin under the scorching sun. Seeing his smile, he felt uncomfortable all over.
The people who came were Zhao Ji, Zhao Zong, and Chen Ao. All three were wearing sweatshirts and slapped with fans. When they saw the three of them, they knew that they were people who were usually pampered and well-maintained. They stood at the doorstep, which was particularly eye-catching.
When the guests saw Magistrate Ma coming, they surrounded him with a smile. Some of them hugged their hands to greet each other from afar, and some of them said congratulations. For a moment, when Magistrate Ma walked to Chen Ao and others, dozens of people were surrounded. The rest of the guests looked strange and came over and watched on tiptoe.
Magistrate Ma squeezed out a smile, looked at Chen Ao and the other two, and said, "Oh, you don't look like Hongzhou people at first sight. Are you foreign merchants? I despise your life. The three of you are willing to congratulate you, and you are in a far-reaching manner. I hope you can forgive me."
This sentence is very polite. If someone comes to give a gift, how can he not even give a polite word? What's more, looking at his tone, the gift must be extremely generous. Just looking at this birthday gift, Ma Tai will not neglect it.
Chen Ao smiled and said, "You are kind to you. My ancestral home is also Hongzhou. Later, I moved to Bianjing and did some small business in Bianjing. Today I passed by my hometown. I heard that adults love the people as much as my son. Today I came to celebrate my birthday and give me a big gift."
Magistrate Ma laughed. After hearing Chen Ao's flattery, he pinched his beard and refused to let go. He thought to himself: "This person is conscious, let's see what gift he gave. If this gift is valuable, just treat him as a fart and let it go. But if it is not in line with my wishes, hum..." Magistrate Ma glanced at Ma Rulong beside him and continued to think to himself: "Then avenge Rulong for revenge."
Ma Rulong was very hostile to Chen Ao and sneered: "Come and take a gift to see."
Chen Ao took out a brocade box without saying a word. This brocade box made many people sigh and stretched their necks to look at it. The Magistrate Ma was even more aware of the goods. When he saw the box inlaid with gold threads, he couldn't help but feel moved, thinking: "This box is at least more than a hundred jin. It seems that the things in this box must be extraordinary."
When Chen Ao opened the brocade box in everyone's amazing eyes, he couldn't help but be stunned when everyone saw the things in the box clearly.
The silence is silent, and the needle can be heard!
Everyone's eyes were wide open, and they didn't dare to make any noise. Someone secretly went to see Ma's face. Seeing that his face changed suddenly, his hand that was pulling his beard froze, frowned, as if he was about to be furious. Many people screamed in their hearts, and no one had seen Ma's anger so much.
An oval head stuck out in the brocade box. This was a turtle, or rather, a distinctive little turtle. The little turtle stretched out its triangle head, and a pair of dark green eyes were surfing around, and finally fell on Magistrate Ma.
At this moment, Magistrate Ma finally suppressed the anger that rose in his heart with his cultivation skills. Today is his birthday, and in front of so many guests, although he was fooled by Chen Ao, he had to talk about it slowly if he had to settle the score.
"Is this your gift?" Magistrate Ma pointed at the innocent little turtle indifferently and asked in a cold tone.
"Yes, this is my gift."
“…”
"Sir, listen to my words." Chen Ao was furious when he saw Ma Tai, and said with a smile: "The master's official voice is very good and famous far and wide. When the people of Hongzhou heard the master's name, they couldn't help but raise their thumbs up and praise them in unison. Therefore, in my eyes, he is the Master Qingtian, and the Star of Wenqu came to earth."
The guests were all looking at each other, thinking to themselves that although this guy gave a bad gift, he was very smart and good at speaking.
Even though Magistrate Ma was so angry that he disappeared for a while, he couldn't help but nod.
Chen Ao continued, "I feel very sorry when I heard that the adults were going to hold a birthday party. Although the birthday party is a happy one, I am a year older without realizing it. Adults love the people and have a clean and honest style. They should be officials for a hundred and a thousand years. Only in this way can they benefit more people. Therefore, I regard the adults as this turtle, hoping that the adults can live a long life like this turtle and live forever!"
The images of turtles in ancient times were named after their longevity. Chen Ao said this very appropriately. Using turtles to describe Ma Tai is not a swear word.
When the guests heard this, they all applauded, saying, "Master Ma prolongs his life." The other said, "Master Ma's life is long."
Although Magistrate Ma was very disappointed, he heard the guests' words and smiled quickly and bowed, "Everyone is grateful for your love."
Seeing that Magistrate Ma was about to let Chen Ao go, Ma Rulong, who was beside him, felt very hatred, and thought to himself: "This guy is smart and even my father has been deceived. No, I must deal with him." He made up his mind and went to see the turtle again. He always felt that the turtle was a little different. He suddenly woke up and pointed at the turtle happily and said, "No, you are not a turtle, this is a turtle. The turtle is a hard shell and has cracked patterns on the shell; the turtle is a soft shell, and the shell surface is smooth. Look at this thing, it is obviously a soft shell, without shell marks, what is it not a turtle?"
With this reminder, everyone looked at the thing carefully and immediately realized that this was really a turtle. Somehow, the merchant sent it as a turtle.
Chen Ao immediately said with a stern face: "Young Master Ma, don't talk nonsense. A turtle is Magistrate Ma, and a turtle is Magistrate, so how can he be a turtle!"
"It's obviously a turtle!"
"It's a turtle."
"It's a turtle!"
The two of them fought for the strife regardless of their decency. Finally, Chen Ao said in anger and angrily: "So that is the Magistrate Ma a turtle?"
"Look, even you say this is a turtle, it depends on how you deny it!"
Chen Ao sighed: "It's better for Ma Taifu to be a turtle, and the turtle's lifespan is not short. Isn't there a saying that goes? A good person does not live long, and the turtle lives for a thousand years!"
Everyone was disgusted by the two of them at first. When they woke up, they burst into laughter. It turned out that Magistrate Ma was a turtle! And this was said by Mr. Ma. But soon, the guests found that Magistrate Ma was furious and quickly stopped laughing and dared not make fun of him anymore. They couldn't help it, so they could only cover their mouths and hide in the crowd and laugh.
Zhao Ji, behind Chen Ao, couldn't help but smile while shaking the fan, but Zhao Zong didn't care about it and laughed out loud.
Ma Rulong knew that he was embarrassed, and just in a hurry, he was just worried about arguing, but he made a fool of himself in public and scolded his father. He immediately silenced and shrank his neck.
Magistrate Ma sneered. At this time, he was sure that the person who came was not here to celebrate his birthday. He didn't care about any respect at this moment and said sternly: "Okay, what an eloquent madman, you dare to scold me. Since you are here today, you don't have to leave."
Chen Ao said innocently: "What are you saying this? You are clearly telling me that you are a turtle, but why do you blame me? There are so many people here, and you can come to testify. How come I have scolded me?"
The guests remained silent, and of course they refused to testify for Chen Ao.
Magistrate Ma smiled coldly and said, "Let you be slick and sensible, don't want to leave. If someone comes, this person insults me. I will arrest them immediately and take them into custody. After I finish my birthday, I will settle the account slowly."
There were many yamen runners who came to help in the mansion, and they were distributed everywhere. At this time, after hearing the order from Magistrate Ma, several servants immediately stepped forward and agreed to take the people.
Chen Ao was not afraid of danger and smiled indifferently: "This is funny. I kindly come to send a turtle and ask for some good things for the adults. I didn't expect that this is how the adults treat guests?"
"Take it!" Magistrate Ma ignored Chen Ao and said sternly.
"Let's go!" Zhao Zong, who was behind Chen Ao, suddenly stood up and said aloud: "It's easy to get someone, but there must be a reason to be able to pass."
"Reason?" Magistrate Ma laughed: "I need a reason to treat you merchants? Who do you think you are?"
"What a big tone. It seems that Lord Ma regards himself as an official. Even if he is unreasonable, he will never dare to take anyone at will."
Ma Rulong shouted: "In Hongzhou, my father is the official in Hongzhou. What can you do?"
Magistrate Ma glared at his son, secretly blaming him for not knowing the importance of his words, but he was not afraid of others' complaints. Such things are unfounded and he said nothing, no one can hold the handle, and he is not afraid of people's gossip.
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Chapter completed!