Jiangcheng County Government, everyone gathered together.

The person who sits high and the top is naturally Li Ling. Below are three officials led by the county magistrate, as well as many county officials. Below are many well-known figures in the county, and all the gentry and businessmen are listed.

From here, we can also see that Jiangcheng County is indeed not well-off enough, otherwise it would be impossible for an important gathering like today to allow merchants with not very high status to be present. There are too few gentry in this county and they can only make up the numbers with merchants.

However, among these people, there is a businessman who must have come here, that is the object Li Lingxiao was watching. Now the county has the most wealthy property, one of the owners of Zongheng Bookstore of Hengzhou Prefecture, and the owner of the Gu Family Bookstore of Ben, Gu Yuezi.

Gu Yuezi, who was nearly fifty years old, had a gray-bearded hair at this time, but he was energetic. Especially after seeing Li Ling, his eyes were even brighter. However, due to the other party's current identity, he did not dare to say too much. But as long as he thought about the fact that Li Ling had embarked on the road of imperial examinations with his encouragement, and had not broken off contact with him, an old man for many years, he was still proud of himself.

At this time, after Li Ling had politely confronted the officials, he also turned his attention to his former benefactor and friend: "Brother Gu, these years have passed, and you look a lot older. How about it, is everything in the family okay?"

With just one sentence, he completely divided his closeness and alienation, and Li Ling just responded casually with others. Although he was smiling, he could not compare to his concern for Gu Yuezi at this time.

Gu Yuezi was a little nervous and flattered, so he stood up and bent down and said, "Thank you, Lord Li, everything is fine in my heart..."

"Brother Gu, you are so disgusting. You and I have met Yu Weimo. Don't you know what kind of person I am. Don't you know? Sit down and talk, otherwise I will get up and talk to you." Li Ling hurriedly asked the other party to sit down, then asked about the situation at the other party's home, and then turned to chat with several other gentry. After all, we are in public, so that everyone can know that Gu Yuezi has an extraordinary relationship with him. Don't say too much, otherwise it's too much.

And that's enough, it's enough for everyone led by the magistrate of Tian to look at Gu Yuezi with admiration. In the past, they also heard that Gu Yuezi and Li Ling had a good relationship and had a business together, just thinking it was mutual benefit. Now it seems that their relationship seems to be deeper than they imagined.

After learning about the situation in the county over the past few years, Li Ling said: "I am ashamed, I, a son of Jiangcheng, have not done my best for my hometown in the past few years. I hope all the villagers will not blame Li Ling..."

"Mr. Li is so serious. We also know how much effort you have done for me over the years. You are lofty and not as good as yourself. You are the real pillar of the country."

"Yes, Lord Li, in fact, you have brought a lot of benefits to our Jiangcheng. For example, those bookstores have grown step by step to their current scale under your guidance. Our Jiangcheng accounts for no less than 50% of the book printing industry in Hengzhou..."

With the comfort and flattery of everyone, this section was quickly revealed. Then Tian Bingwen smiled and said, "Actually, if Lord Li is really willing, it will be time to do something for our Jiangcheng County. For example, after returning to Beijing, you can completely reduce our local grain tax a little... You don't know that since this summer, our Jiangcheng has been frequently hit by heavy rain, and the land output has been reduced by 30%..."

For the magistrate of Tian, ​​taxation and other benefits are much more important than other benefits, so he took the courage to ask Li Ling for help. After all, he was a high-ranking official in the capital and a transfer official. It was more useful to say something than to report a hundred documents by himself.

But just after he expressed his meaning, Li Ling's expression changed, which made County Magistrate Tian's heart suddenly feel aroused. Is it a fault for himself? As a result, Li Ling smiled bitterly and said, "I am certain that Lord Tian is willing to help you, but I am powerless to help you. Because I am afraid I can't go back to the capital for a short time."

"Ah, why?" Tian Bingwen was shocked. It was not until this time that he realized that he had never asked why Li Ling had returned to Jiangcheng County.

It is because Li Ling's return to his hometown at this time was very consistent with the custom of many officials returning to his hometown before the New Year. In his opinion, Lord Li returned to Jiangcheng this time to pay homage to his ancestors and celebrate the New Year. After the New Year, Lord Li will naturally return to the capital.

But now it seems that things are not as simple as I think.

Li Ling did not make them confused for too long, and soon revealed the real reason for his return this time: "To be honest, I came back to my hometown this time. Because my father died, I was unable to fulfill my filial piety before, and after his death, I had to stay by my side for a while. So in the next few years, I will stay in Jiangcheng. In fact, to be serious, I am no longer an official of the court."

From Tian Bingwen down, everyone present had a change in their faces. They were both surprised and sighing, but their attitude towards Li Ling did not change drastically. Some people even claimed that Li Ling was a loyal and filial person and a role model for everyone...

County Magistrate Tian felt relieved. After hearing Li Ling's half sentence just now, he was really afraid that Li Ling would suddenly say that he had been dismissed from office and returned to his hometown after a failure in the court. Then it would be too wasteful for his arrangements today, and he might even be falsely accused of colluding with the criminal official.

But since it is just returning to his hometown, it is not a big problem. After all, Dingyou has a time limit. At most, he can return to Beijing in three years. Moreover, from the ritual system of this dynasty, Li Ling will receive rewards from the court after Dingyou this time, and may even be promoted again.

The only problem is whether you can serve until the other party’s silence is over, otherwise if you change to another county magistrate, the benefits will be in vain.

So, after the scene was a little cold, the atmosphere in the hall became warmer again. Everyone flattered Li Ling for a while, and then all advised him to mourn him. They promised that when Li Tong was really buried in the land, they would come to pay their respects.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Ling politely rejected the gentry's suggestion to hold a banquet for him, said goodbye to everyone, and left the county government. After leaving the county government government, he asked someone to bring a message to Gu Yuezi. After he walked out of the long street that he was familiar with in his memory, Gu Yuezi really followed.

After coming to Li Ling, Gu Yuezi was obviously a little restrained. After all, Li Ling is no longer the young man who used the novel he wrote to come to discuss business, nor is he the scholar who has achieved some achievements but still treats others humbly, but a real big shot in the court, a existence that a small businessman like Gu Yuezi needs to look up to.

"Do you have any instructions?" Gu Yuezi hesitated for a while and asked carefully.

"Brother Gu, we have been reunited with our old friends for many years. It's too strange to say that." Li Ling smiled, then reached out and straightened the other party who bent down. "Do you think I, Li Ling, are the ignorant who doesn't miss the old love and only knows how to show off his status?"

After a pause, seeing that the other party was still a little frightened, Li Ling said earnestly again: "Brother Gu, you are the first person who is willing to help me when I was in a low point. If you were not willing to buy my novel, I was afraid that Yue'er and I would have been killed by the Zhuang brothers. So, it is not an exaggeration to say that you have kindness."

Gu Yuezi hurriedly waved his hand hard and said repeatedly: "I really can't bear what Lord Li said. As the saying goes, auspicious people will have their own appearance. You are the one who has talent and ability to overcome difficulties. I dare not be greedy for the achievements of heaven. Moreover, those novels are indeed popular and popular for a long time. Even today, many people go to the bookstore to buy Fengshen and Bao Gong's case.

"So Lord Li, you succeeded entirely by your own ability. However, I, Gu Yuezi, have benefited from you, and have transformed me from a bookstore owner who is about to go bankrupt into a big businessman like today. Your help to me is far greater than what I do to you, so those words of gratitude..."

"Okay, you are the ones who help me and I will help you? Do you don't want to recognize me as a friend? You actually settle the accounts so clearly?" Li Ling was helpless and could only say with a straight face.

"No... I dare not. If you can call me a friend by adults, Gu Yuezi is naturally very willing..."

"Then you call me Master?" Li Ling glared at him again.

"Then... Wen Zhong, what do I want to call you in the future?" Gu Yuezi asked in a little panic.

Li Ling originally hoped that he would call him Li Dalang and other things like in the past, which was to regain his original feelings. But now it seems that it is obviously unrealistic, so he could only accept such a title and nodded: "Okay, just call me Wen Zhong. Only in front of you, my friend, can I speak, I hope you can do me a favor."

"Big... Wen Zhong, you said, as long as I can do it, I will do it." Gu Yuezi immediately patted his chest and said.

"Well, this time I came back with my family, and my father's coffin was also parked at home, so I naturally couldn't live in the courtyard before. What I mean was to find a piece of land to build a larger courtyard in the county town, but I haven't been in Jiangcheng for a long time, so I would like to ask Brother Gu to help you in this regard."

"This is simple. As far as I know, there are a lot of available land in the city. As long as you speak, you will definitely be fine. By the way, there is a yard in the west of the city. If you don't dislike it, just be there for a while?"

Li Ling thought for a moment and agreed immediately: "That's thankful to Brother Gu..."
Chapter completed!