Liu Jun estimated that this was just a group of small thieves. He might have just wanted to launch a surprise attack and grab a vote while Macheng County has no preparations.

When they saw that Macheng was prepared and sent someone to give severance payments, they would definitely think that their whereabouts had been discovered long ago and Macheng was prepared. Of course, the most important thing is that the thief was not strong, otherwise they would just kill in.

Even if you don’t beat your county town, you have to grab a few manors, towns and markets in the countryside. As the saying goes, the thief will not leave.

"I'm worried that if the thieves find out later that we are singing an empty city plan, I'm afraid we will go back, so it's better to leave here as soon as possible." Liu Jun lost a gift of 100 taels of silver, but he was not too depressed to save his life. He said to the old man.

"Well, I plan to go back to the county town and my nephew will go back together?"

After thinking about it, Liu Jun still refused. He still wanted to go to the Liu family immediately. After all, the future is important.

"Where is the old nephew going?"

"The old man from Suokouhe Liu's birthday is about to celebrate his birthday."

"So that's it. In this way, the property that the virtuous nephew gave to the bandit just now should have been the birthday gift you prepared. In this way, wouldn't you lose the birthday gift?"

Liu Jun spread his hands and smiled bitterly, "Let's find another gift or two more then."

The old man looked at Liu Jun and suddenly said, "I'm thanking my nephew today. Let's do this. I happened to have a calligraphy and painting. It was originally given by an old friend. I happened to carry it with me today. Why not give it to my nephew and use it as a gift."

The scholar next to the old man frowned and whispered, "Master, that painting is hard to come by and worth a thousand gold. Isn't it good to give it to others so easily?"

"Money is something outside the body, so why can't I bear to let go? What's more, if it weren't for the nephew Zhizhi's plan to retreat to the thief today, we wouldn't know if this thing would have fallen into the thief's hand." The old man said, asking his follower to take a long box and open it with a scroll inside.

Liu Jun did not hear the conversation between the scholar and the old man clearly. He did not know that the painting was precious. He had no nerve to open the scroll in front of him, but just gave it to him for a few seconds. In the end, the old man was sincere and he accepted it. He thought it was just an ordinary painting, but he thought it could be used as a birthday gift instead of the lost gift.

"Go farewell to this, I will be destined to come again in the future!" The old man bowed to Liu Jun very freely.

The old man left with his entourage. Liu Jun thought about it and bought more than a hundred trowels for the dozens of Xiangyang people who fled, and then said goodbye and left to set off.

There was no surprise along the way. In the afternoon, Liu Jun had already arrived at the Liu family in Suokouhe.

Suokou River is twenty-five miles west of the county, and is named after the mountains and rivers are connected like locks. It is surrounded by green mountains and the fields in the middle are wide. Two small rivers flow to the southeast. Guishan and Tingzi Mountain in the southeast are connected to protect the beautiful area. If the mountains and rivers hide dragons and gather energy, then the intersection of the mountains and rivers here is like gold locking to strengthen treasures, locking them tightly in the basin.

The Liu family’s ancestral home is located here.

The Liu family in Suokouhe is not only one of the four prominent families in Macheng, but also in the entire eastern Hubei, Huguang, and even the entire late Ming Dynasty, they are considered famous families.

Only Chu has talent, but East Hubei is the best.

During the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty held a total of more than 20,000 scholars, including more than 1,500 in Huguang, and nearly 400 in the nine counties of Huangzhou Prefecture, including 136 Jinshi in Macheng, not including Wu Jinshi. The number is the first in Huguang and is called the hometown of Jinshi.

The first Jinshi in Macheng in the Ming Dynasty came from the Liu family in Suokouhe.

During the Ming Dynasty, the Liu family in Suokouhe successively produced 49 Juren and 20 civil and military officials.

Among them are Liu Xun, the best in the world in power, Liu Yu, the best in the department in Jiangyou, Liu Tianhe, the best in the world in power, Liu Shouyou, the commander of the Jinyiwei, Liu Qiao, the collector of Liu Chengxi, the first in the world in power, and Liu Tong, the collector of Jin-Pin-Pein, and Liu Tong, the famous writer.

There is no unknown Liu family in the Suokou River. Even in the Suokou River, large areas of fertile land and land with all the scattered fields belong to the Liu family.

The Liu family's location has even formed a very prosperous town, which is much more prosperous than Xiwan. As soon as you enter, you can see the Liu family's ancestral hall standing tall from afar, and the plaque of the imperial gift "Jinghu Ding Clan" written by Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen of the Ming Dynasty was hanging high.

When I got closer, I saw a couplet hanging at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

"Ten generations of Yuan Kui's ancestors, nine official titles to protect famous masters"

The plaque written by the emperor and this couplet are all marked with the glory of the Liu family in Suokouhe.

Today, the Liu family has become a family of Jinyi. Just thinking about it makes Liu Jun excited. He is a member of this wealthy family. Once he returns to the clan, he will find a headquarters for Jinyi hundred households, such as flying fish clothes and embroidered spring swords, and bring a group of Jinyiwei. How powerful it is.

Since the emergence of an emperor in Huguang, the people of Huguang have become powerful and have gained power in the court.

When Emperor Zhengde had no son, he chose the grandson of King Xian of Ming and was granted the title of King Xingxian, the second son of King Xingxian, who was granted the title of Zhongxiang of Huguang, to welcome the throne of Emperor Jingsi.

This lucky guy was Zhu Hougui, who later reigned for forty-five years. This emperor was originally a vassal king of Huguang, but later unexpectedly entered the capital to inherit the throne, so he naturally vigorously promoted the people of Huguang. It was from Jiajing that a large number of Huguang officials took advantage of the situation. The Liu family really rose at that time and established their status as a prominent family in one fell swoop.

Liu Jun walked to the entrance of the Liu family's ancestral temple, looked at the tall and majestic gate, and looked at the big words written by the emperor, and naturally felt a sense of pride and yearning. But then, when he came to the entrance of the Liu family's mansion, he was dissolving by the noisy environment like a vegetable market and the pungent smell of sweat.

The 70th birthday of Liu Gongbao, the governor of Jinyi, was naturally a major event. Not only did the magistrate of Macheng County, Lu Jinxi, bring a group of officials, including the county magistrate, chief clerk, clerk, and a large number of yamen runners and clerks to help, but all families in Macheng also came to celebrate, namely the Huangzhou Prefecture and Hubei Provincial Government Office, the people who sent people to come to present gifts to celebrate their birthdays.

I even heard that the emperor specially sent eunuchs to congratulate the birthday of the emperor, and this glory is beyond replenishment.

Only those officials of grade and famous families like Meili and Jay Chou can enter the main entrance of the Liu family courtyard. Generally, those who come to celebrate birthdays and give gifts are not qualified, so they have to go to the side door. There have been long queues there, and they have to queue up to give gifts if they want to give gifts.

Although the status of giving gifts at the side door was not too high, Liu Jun looked at the team and found that most of the people in line were wearing silk, silk in brocade clothes, and gold belts. They were either rich or noble. The gifts they gave were naturally extremely noble.

At some point, a group of young people came outside the side door, all dressed in gorgeous clothes, with gold belts on their waists and folding fans. They stood crookedly and pointed at the crowd lined up to give gifts. They seemed to be all guests entering the mansion through the gate, so they always felt superior. At this time, they gathered together to make fun of these people who could only go to the side door to give gifts.

"Look at that country bumpkin, it looks like a piece of black charcoal. The mud on his feet is probably not washed yet, so he is here to join in the fun of birthday celebrations. Just that gift is so timid, two wild boars and six pairs of pheasants! Humph!"

"That's right, this is a wedding banquet in the countryside, and you can take advantage of such a gift. Could it be that they think the Liu family can see their things?"

"Hahaha!"

A group of people were laughing there, talking about the gift-giving guests who were not expensive enough. There was no scruple in their words, no sound was reduced at all, and they even deliberately wanted others to hear it.

Liu Jun originally wanted to go to the main entrance, but unfortunately he couldn't get close to the gate without an invitation. Not to mention telling them that he was a Liu family member who came to recognize his relatives, he had to register the gift from this side door to have a place at this birthday party.

The people who go to the side door to give gifts are rich and generous gifts. Of course, some gifts are just ordinary, such as the one in front, two wild boars and six pairs of pheasants. This gift is actually quite good. The man is the head of a farmhouse under the Liu family. In fact, it is just a tenant who helps the Liu family manage the farmhouse. It is actually quite a bit light to be able to bring out such gifts.

Soon, Liu Jun was ranked in front of the case of registering the supervisor.

"Name?" Liu Jun was secretly happy when the manager who registered the gift of the guest of Liu family looked upside down. However, he tried his best to restrain himself and said, "Liu Jun, a martial artist in Xiwan Town, Xiamacheng."

"What gift did you give?"

"To celebrate the birthday of Mr. Lao, I will give you a calligraphy and painting." Liu Jun had never opened the calligraphy and painting, and he did not know the specific information about the calligraphy and painting at the moment, so he had to answer like this now.

Unexpectedly, the manager carried Liu Jun and glanced at him. Seeing that he was just an ordinary student's clothes and had no luxurious outfits, he said in a snoring voice again and said, "Liu Jun, a martial artist in Xiwan Town, Macheng, send a calligraphy and painting." Someone next to him was registered.

There were bursts of ridicule behind him, "What calligraphy and paintings are there? There is not even a name. You can't just write it randomly, just use it as a gift. I see, this person is just here to eat and drink."

Someone said, "Oh, Manager Liu, open the painting and take a look. Let us have a sense of what kind of masterpiece is it."

"Yes, open it to let us see."

The manager's face was also very bad. Not only did Liu Jun not express anything to him, he also gave him such a gift. Now, when the young men and friends beside him shouted, he immediately said to the people next to him, "Didn't you hear what you guys say? Open it and take a look."

Although doing this obviously offends this martial artist, it is not worth mentioning compared to the group of yamen boys on the opposite side.

The box was opened and a painting was presented to everyone.

The mountains and valleys are endless. It was the first time that Liu Jun saw this painting, but he was immediately attracted by it. Even if he was not a famous admirer, he could see that this painting was very good and had a very artistic conception. He did not expect that the old man actually gave him such a good painting.

When the painting was opened, it also attracted many surprises. No one expected that it was such a good painting. The young men who had mocked him before suddenly blushed. One of them was unwilling to accept it, so he carefully looked for the flaws. Not to mention, he really found one.

"Little Master Xiangguang? Dong Qichang's paintings? How is this possible? I know Dong Xuanzai's calligraphy and painting works, but I don't have this one. Well, this painting is called Guanshan Xueji Painting. I have never heard of it. Boy, you don't have money to give expensive gifts, but you even gave a fake painting, and stupidly gave a painting that pretended to be Dong Qichang. Do you really think we are all blind and are you a foolish person who is a Liu family? "

"This painting is pretty good." Someone said on the side.

"It's just a fake painting. What's the point of being good about it? It's not worth a penny."

"Isn't it really Dong Qichang's painting?"

"I have never heard of Dong Qichang painting a picture of the snow clearing in the mountains. If it were really painted by Dong Qichang, someone would have recognized it."

"That's how it's really a fake painting. It's shameless to give Mr. Liu a fake painting to celebrate his birthday."

"This man claims to be a martial artist, maybe it's fake!"

"Turn him away!"

"roll!"
Chapter completed!