I am an anchor in the Three Kingdoms

When Cao Xiong and his party arrived, it was almost time for dinner.

I saw a military officer at the south gate standing alone in front of the gate, with sharp cheeks and a mustache.

The officers and soldiers defending the city kept a distance of more than ten steps from him.

I saw Cao Xiong and his party coming here.

The official knelt down and saluted directly.

"I've seen the Fifth Young Master, I've seen the Marquis of Guan Nei!"

The military officer raised his head, "Xiaguan Hou Cheng, the prefect of Nanpi City, didn't dare to mobilize the troops, so he came alone to welcome the imperial envoy!"

Cao Xiong looked back at Xu Chu.

Hi!

They are smarter than us, and they already knew that some of us were going to enter the city today.

Cao Xiong told him to stand up.Looked at him carefully.

The clothes are a pair of old military uniforms, silver-white helmets, some faded, piece by piece, looking dilapidated.

On the contrary, as rumored, he was a poor official.

Cao Xiong asked:

"Master Hou Cheng has good eyesight, and he can recognize this young master at a glance."

"The lower officials heard that the imperial envoy was Prime Minister Cao's Fifth Young Master, so he naturally paid attention to it. Now that he saw a young man with a handsome appearance and a dignified appearance, surrounded by a team of tiger guards, he guessed in his heart that it must be the Fifth Young Master!"

It's comfortable for Hou Cheng to boast!

Cao Xiong signaled him to stand up and asked:

"Lord Hou Cheng, what is your salary?"

Unexpectedly, Cao Xiong asked such a question, Hou Chengyi cupped his hands and replied: "Thanks to Prime Minister Cao's gift, the moon valley is 60 dendrobium, 720 shi a year!"

Based on Cao Xiong's analysis of the income of officials in the Han Dynasty.

One dendrobium is equal to ten buckets, and one bucket is equal to thirty catties. Hou Cheng's monthly income is about [-] catties of grain.

This income is equivalent to a monthly income of 21 in the [-]st century!

What's more, during the period of the Three Kingdoms, the price of food rose every day. Based on this calculation, it may be higher than the current [-]!

It really is the treatment of a prefect of a city.

However, with such an income, he still wears such crude clothes.

Cao Xiong looked at his dirty armor, "It seems that Prime Minister Cao has never treated you badly?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Cheng quickly knelt down again.

"Fifth Young Master, why did you say that? Prime Minister Cao treats his subordinates with the utmost care, and his subordinates are completely overwhelmed. If they can't repay Prime Minister Cao's kindness!"

Cao Xiong said "Hey", "Master Hou Cheng's clothes are so shabby, I thought it was because Prime Minister Cao didn't give you a salary?"

After all, Cao Xiong entered the city first.

Hou Cheng quickly stood up and walked to the front.

"Fifth son, I'm telling you the truth! In our Nanpi year, there have been more than forty bandits. The people were robbed every now and then, and the lower officials couldn't help them with their salaries. That's why they were dressed in shabby clothes and lost Prime Minister Cao. Please punish the fifth son."

Cao Xiong smiled slightly at Hou Cheng, noncommittal!

Sure enough, as Hou Cheng said.

Everywhere Cao Xiong and Hou Cheng visited in Nanpi City, the people were grateful to Hou Cheng.

Some knelt down to greet each other, and some bowed deeply, which did not seem to be deliberately arranged.

Cao Xiong asked again:

"Master Hou Cheng is a good official, I will tell my father to reward you! It's just..."

"Fifth Young Master, but it's okay to say?"

"There are more than forty bandits in Nanpi City? You are the prefect, but you don't go to eliminate them? Could it be that you are supporting the bandits?"

Cao Xiong's words seemed to be a random question, but only Hou Cheng knew the danger in it.

Hou Cheng turned around.

He took off his left and right shoulder pads abruptly, only to see scars everywhere on his shoulders, back, and chest, as if caused by sharp knives, which were clearly visible.

The people in Nanpi City saw this scene.

They all said:

"Our prefect Hou Cheng is a great official..."

"Lord Hou Cheng deals with bandits every day..."

"Master Hou Cheng was pregnant with several wounds, and even donated the coins to us. He is really a great official!"

During the words, the people still shed tears.

Cao Xiong reassured him immediately: "I don't think it's my son who wrongly blamed Mr. Hou Cheng, Mr. Hou Cheng, don't be offended."

While speaking, Cao Xiong ordered Huben Army to put on a new pair of shoulder guards for him.

Judging from all the signs, this Hou Cheng seems to be a really good official?

Although Cao Xiong still doubted himself, he couldn't produce the slightest evidence.

Just follow him and move on.

Chapter 223

Suddenly, a dilapidated courtyard attracted the attention of the fifth son Cao Xiong.

Cao Xiong signaled to stop.

Scan the dilapidated yard.

The door must have been used for more than ten years, and it can be blown down by a gust of wind.

This plaque was covered by a thick layer of dust.

Three big characters are faintly visible.

"Prefect's Mansion!"

Ho!

In the north of us, there is such a impoverished prefect's mansion!

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Cao Xiong would have thought he was in a slum!

"Fifth Young Master, is this the official residence?

The house arranged for you is in front. "

Hearing that this is Hou Cheng's mansion, Cao Xiong quickly got off his horse.

The crack in the door was flicked, and a burst of dust rushed in.

This must be a mansion that hasn't been cleaned for a long time!

"cough cough"

He coughed twice, choked by the dust.

The fifth son said to Hou Cheng: "Lord Hou Cheng, I never thought you would be so poor!

My son intends to help you save some coins, how about staying with you tonight? "

"How can the Fifth Young Master live in this humble room of the lower official? What's more, Fifth Young Master's subordinates..."

Hou Cheng didn't expect that the Fifth Young Master planned to live in his mansion, and he was a little surprised on his cheeks!

He faltered back.

Before Hou Cheng could finish speaking, Cao Xiong interrupted:

"It's okay, it's okay! Master Hou Cheng can be wronged, but I can't stand it. Lord Hou Cheng doesn't care about these tigers and armies. We are here for inspection, so we dare not increase the burden on Master Hou Cheng."

Hou Cheng shuddered.

After all the calculations, he did not expect that the fifth son Cao Xiong would choose to live in his mansion.

This…

Hou Cheng's cheeks visibly trembled a few times, as if surprised or feared!

Seeing him like this, Cao Xiong felt very strange.

The more strange it is, the more interested the fifth son Cao Xiong is.

Taking big strides and walking in first, Xu Chu ordered two tiger and cardinal soldiers to protect the safety of the fifth young master.

The rest disbanded first, and he followed in.

……

Nanpi City, Prefect's Mansion!

Cao Xiong sat on a dilapidated stool, and Xu Chu stood beside him.

"Prefect Hou Cheng, you knew about my son coming to Nanpi City in advance.

You also know the purpose of that son? "

"Naturally know!"

"En." Cao Xiong nodded, "Then let's get straight to the point, Nanpi City can scrape together 50 stones of food and grass within a few days!"

"I'm afraid." Hou Cheng seemed to be in a dilemma.

"Fifth son, don't say 50 shi of grain and grass, I'm afraid it's [-] shi of grain and grass, and we Nanpi City can't get it out!"

Hearing this answer, Cao Xiong was not surprised.

"Master Hou Cheng, let's talk about it in detail."

"Our Nanpi City is rich, so it is not difficult to raise 50 stone grain grasslands.

However, in recent years, bandits and bandits have been rampant on the hills outside the city, and they are all remnants of the Yellow Turban Army, extremely fierce.

The lower officials lead the army to conquer, and there are more defeats than victories.

The people's farms and food have been robbed long ago, and none of them survived. Now to raise food, even if all the food and grass in the hands of the people in Nanpi City are collected, they still can't get [-] shi! "

Hou Cheng said with snot and tears.

When it came to the end, I really burst into tears, repeatedly complaining about myself.

"It's all to blame for the incompetence of the lower officials, it's all to blame for the incompetence of the lower officials."

Ho!

Return the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army!

If Cao Xiong hadn't gone up to the top of the mountain to pay his respects in person, he would have been bluffed by you, Hou Cheng.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Yellow Turban Army that survived in the later period was indeed sturdy in combat effectiveness.

But if it is said that the Yellow Turban Army is equipped with a kitchen knife for each person?

Is this Yellow Turban Army a bit too fake?

What's more, you officers and soldiers can't even wipe out the bandits in this configuration?

Hey, who would believe it?

Speaking of this, Fifth Young Master Cao Xiong has already judged that the eunuch Hou Cheng and these bandits must be inextricably linked.