Lijiaba, eight miles south of the city, has a continuous luxury house, and this is the place where various branches of the Li family live together. Although the Li family has produced dozens of Juren, Jinshi, many senior officials, and many wealthy businessmen, whether they are officials or businessmen, they still have houses built here. Those who are officials and businessmen will eventually fall back to their roots when they grow old.

Li Changgeng was writing in the study, and the butler came over with a stack of invitations.

"The invitations from all the companies in Macheng have been written. Are you sending someone to send them now?"

"Well, everyone will be delivered to you, don't miss it." Li Changgeng nodded.

The old housekeeper said, "Young Master Chunjiang seems to be really interested in playing this horse team this time."

"This is a good thing."

"Master, how could this be a good thing? Young Master Chunjiang Wenquxing was reincarnated and wanted to be the top scorer in the Jinshi. He learned about Yuan in the subject, but he missed the exam because of his sudden physical discomfort. It's a pity. Now the exam is about to be held in more than half a year. Young Master Chunjiang should review his homework at this time, how can he spend time working on the horse team? Young Master Chunjiang is a scholar, and it's really a big deal to make a horse team..."

Li Changgeng smiled and shook his head, "It's no longer as before. The world is turbulent everywhere, and scholars can no longer study with peace of mind. Even if they pass the Jinshi exam and become officials, it's not as good as before. The world is now fighting all day long. Although the Japanese riots in the southeast have been better in recent years, the northwest has even risen again, and they have even deteriorated the world and wandered around. Jianlu in the north is getting stronger year by year. There is no place to be quiet, and they cannot become officials without knowing military affairs. The Gong Ji has a very sharp vision and can see far."

"But this matter is always a shame. It's like being with a bunch of rough men all day long." The housekeeper still has the old idea, "I want to tell me that our family also has ready-made servants, and there are still a lot of them. Even if Master Chunjiang wants to practice, just let him take his servants to practice. No, it's useless to recruit a group of people, and they have to mobilize so many people."

"Master, I heard that the team deputy Liu Jiye, the young master, recruited forty people today, were all hunters, and the postmen who were removed, and eight monks. This..."

"You, you don't have to worry about these things. Even if this matter is really not done, it doesn't matter. Young people will accumulate experience if they suffer some losses."

"If you really say this, then you just let Master Chunjiang go to play. Why do you have to send so many posts and invitations to invite all the well-known people from all over the county to come to the banquet? It's not that Master Chunjiang is too much fun and requires a lot of money. Master, you are so spoiled by Master Chunjiang. I see this post sent over, even if each family comes, they may not be happy."

Li Changgeng smiled, "They have to give me Li Changgeng a face, let alone Xintian's face. This horse team is part of his village group."

As night falls, the lights are brightly lit in Lijiaba, as bright as daytime.

In front of the Li family courtyard, there were traffic. All the families invited to come to the banquet came by car and brought their children. The carriages were also followed by the brigade's servants. For a moment, Lijiaba was very noisy.

The managers of the Li family stood in front of the door early to greet them.

Liu Jun also arrived with the newly recruited members of the horse team. Forty recruits, plus the twenty brothers of him and Li Chunjiang, and ten logistics, Liu Jun came with a total of seventy people.

In the afternoon, I had already swept the goods in the county town and bought a brand new outfit for everyone. Everyone was wearing blue robes and black boots. Before coming, I specially arranged to take a shower and trim my beards. Therefore, after the arrival of the seventy horse team townsmen who were dressed in uniform and decorated with a new look, they attracted a lot of attention.

Li Chunjiang was waiting in front of the door, and was surprised to see them appear.

"It's very imposing, and it's already a little bit of elite momentum." Li Chunjiang smiled and walked up to Liu Jun and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to see my uncle and the heads of each family."

The township hero of the horse team was arranged by Li Chunjiang, and Liu Jun followed Li Chunjiang all the way into the lobby.

The lobby was also brightly lit, and it was as bright as daylight.

Li Chunjiang led Liu Jun in and said to everyone, "I'm here to introduce you to you. This is Liu Jun and Liu Jiye, the deputy of my horse team, a student of Weiwu in Huangzhou, a brave and resourceful young talent. The thief suddenly attacked before, and it was Jiye's brother who was smart and tricked to retreat to the thief."

Some of the people here have heard of this and have not heard of it. At this time, they couldn't help but praise Liu Jun. No matter what, this young Wusheng is now close to the Li family, and it is also necessary for everyone to praise each other.

Li Changgeng stood up, "Such a hero is a blessing for me. Now, nephew Liu Shi and nephew She are willing to contribute to the families and villagers in Macheng to build a team of villages and brave horses to protect their hometowns. I, Li, are very happy to see it. I invited everyone today, and I hope that everyone can help them more in the future. After all, villages and brave men are also protecting the villages. Their young people have worked hard, so we old guys will also contribute some money to help them."

After Li Changgeng finished speaking, he waved his hand and the housekeeper came with four servants.

"Li will take the lead first, one thousand taels of silver will help you pay, and another ten good horses will be helped! One hundred stones of food!"

As his words fell, the four servants lifted the two trays up, lifted the red cloth covered with red cloth, and placed twenty large silver ingots of fifty taels and one ingot on it.

One thousand taels of silver is not a small amount. If you add ten horses and one hundred stones of grain, it will be nearly a thousand taels of silver. Many people sighed secretly that Li Changgeng was generous and took out so much money to his nephew to make a village group. However, everyone still kept smiling, but they also knew that today's banquet was not so delicious, and it would be not so easy to leave without some blood.

Just as everyone was thinking about how much money to pay for the salary, a sound came from outside.

"Master Shen Zhuangmei is here!"

With this shout, a gray-haired but energetic old man stepped into the lobby, with several people following behind him.

"Sorry, I'm a step late."

Liu Jun looked at the old man and felt familiar. When he heard the sound again, he immediately found that the old man was the old man he met on the way to Liu's birthday. He was the old man who gave him a precious painting of Dong Qichang, but he didn't mention the precious painting at all.

"So he is Mei Zhihuan!" Liu Jun was full of surprise. He had guessed before that the old man was not an ordinary country old man, especially the followers he was obviously a veteran who had been through the battlefield for a long time. But at that time he would never have thought that the old man who had met once would actually be Mei Zhihuan.

The contemporary head of the Mei family of Qiligang, known as the Sima family, and the head of the Mei family, the head of the four prominent families in Macheng. Mei Zhihuan, the former governor of Gansu, is a person who truly holds the right to speak in Macheng.

"My friend, we're meeting again." Mei Zhihuan walked past everyone and walked directly to Liu Jun, and said to him with a gentle smile.

Liu Jun came back to his senses from that surprise and bowed and bowed: "I have seen Mr. Mei, but I never thought that you were Mr. Mei. Please forgive me for your poor eyes. In addition, I would like to thank you for the painting you gave that day. At that time, I really didn't know that the painting was so precious and so precious. I returned it to the original owner. I only found out after I gave it out that it was difficult to get it back. I am really sorry."

"Hahaha!" Mei Zhihuan laughed loudly, "It's just a calligraphy and painting. Since I've given it to you, it doesn't matter who you give it to. I heard that you want to build a village hero team with the Gongji. It's very good. Young people must have ideas. However, your horse team is under my village team, and will be my soldiers in the future."

"If you can listen to the teachings in front of Mei Gong, you will never be able to ask for it."

"Don't be so polite to me, old man. Didn't you call me Uncle that day? Just keep calling me like this from now on." As she said that, Mei Zhihuan still patted Liu Jun's shoulder a few times intimately.

This intimate conversation and motivation surprised many guests.

Someone even asked the person next to him in a low voice, "What is Liu Jun's origin? How do you think that he is not only close to the Li family, but also Gong Mei is so familiar. He is not ordinary. Is he a relative of the Li Mei family?"

"The relatives of Li Mei's family are still surnamed Liu, so they may be from Liu Jinwu family. That's not right. Last time, the old lady Liu's birthday was on her birthday, she didn't see this among the young children of the Liu family." Someone asked in confusion.

"I guess it's not from Liu Jinwu's family. Look at how many rooms in the Liu family have come to each other today, but no one from the Liu family came up to say hello to Liu Jun before."

"Then what's the origin of this guy?"

"Yes, it's strange. Could it be that it's from the Mansion or the Capital City, which famous family member?"

Mei Zhihuan was very kind to take Liu Jun's hand and walk towards the main table, "You and Gong Ji will accompany me to make this table and talk together."

"This is not good, I'm just a junior."

Li Changgeng smiled, "Mr. Mei is rare to like a young junior so much. You have to give this face." As he said, he looked at Mei Zhihuan, "Of course, it is not enough to just say that you appreciate young people verbally. Now Jiye and the Public Record want to do something for their hometown. They have just built a village hero team. You are a senior, and this horse team is affiliated with your village group. You have to perform both public and private, right?"

"I understand, I understand." Mei Zhihuan said with a smile, "Of course I have to express my support. Youqing, you are also an elder. I will also take out as much support as you give me, and I will do it."

"This is what you said." Li Changgeng laughed, "I have already taken out my support, one thousand taels of silver, ten good horses and one hundred stones of grain."

"Oh, I didn't expect you to support me this time. Okay, I won't regret it. Similarly, one thousand taels of silver, ten good horses plus one hundred stones of grain." As he said that, he called Changsui, who followed, "Remember what I promised them to the two of them. Looking back, you will prepare these for them tomorrow."

"Yes, master." Two thousand taels of silver can buy hundreds of acres of land, but it is really nothing to the Mei family. Mei Zhihuan and his son were both Jinshi, and even his four uncles were all Jinshi, three Wenjinshi and one Wujinshi. In his generation, his cousins ​​were either Wenjuren or Wuji. In addition, the Mei family's in-laws, such as the Li family, Liu family, Chen family, etc., were all wealthy families. Whether in politics or economic terms, whether in the court or in the local court, the Mei family was a prominent family, not just a large family in Macheng County, but the entire Huguang and even the Ming Dynasty were considered prominent families.

A family of three generations also produced more than a dozen juren, Jinshi, minister, governor, etc., and there were not many such families in the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the village group that Mei Zhihuan built was much larger than Liu Jun and his horse team. There were two battalions of hundreds of people, regular soldiers and rovers. In addition to having an elite horse team, there was also a army of hundreds of people with hundreds of cannons and muskets. Compared to the expenses of raising such a large village group, it was really worth mentioning to give Liu Jun and his friends one or two thousand taels of silver. What's more, this horse team was actually nominally affiliated with his village group.

Liu Chengqi's second son Liu Wei came on behalf of his father today. He knew the identity of Liu Jun's children. Seeing Liu Jun like this, he couldn't help but feel a little complicated.

"Mr. Mei and Li said they wanted to support it, so of course we have to support it. On behalf of the Liu family in Suokouhe, I will support the two heroic horse teams of five hundred taels of silver and ten good horses."

"Brother Liu Shi's words are reasonable, so we must support them of course. My Geng family in Tiantai supports two nephews with 300 taels of silver."

"The Qiu family supports one hundred taels."

"The Dong family supports one hundred taels."

"The Qian family supports one hundred taels."
Chapter completed!