Done! Your Majesty is going to prostitute me for free!

Now that she saw Zhong Anchun, Kalemi looked at him with tears in her eyes and shouted: "Master Zhong, save me!" Zhong Anchun stood up suddenly and shouted angrily: "I'm here to save you! You Give me a good show and don’t reveal your secret! If you kill a brother because of your stupidity, I will burn you again on the ship!”

Duke Walter Poulsen looked at Dogtail Caoer, Dogtail Caoer explained: "Master Zhong is warning him that since he comes from the church, he should be loyal to the emperor and repay the church. Now he has violated the doctrine and deserves to be executed. He You are no longer qualified to be with us, let alone one of ours." At this time, Kalemi suddenly yelled: "Eastern Dog, you have no credibility! I worked hard for you, but I ended up like this! "..." When Duke Walter Poulsen heard this, a faint smile appeared on his face. It turned out that he was so anxious that he even started to curse in his native language.

By this time, the cardinal had finished his prayers and the ceremony was about to begin. Duke Walter Poulsen took the opportunity to toast to Dogtail Cao'er and Zhong Anchun: "The ceremony is about to begin. With the cardinal's prayer, I would like to wish you both a safe journey."

The ceremony was about to begin, and the cardinal, in accordance with the ritual of the New Soul Society, pretended to read a passage of scripture. Then, the clerk of the Inquisition read the verdict aloud: "Gnagizeta, the heretic, for spreading heresy, we, by the name and authority of the Almighty Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sentence you to be burned at the stake. Do you repent to cleanse yourself of your sins?"

Kalemi was feeling calm at the moment, but in order to match Zhong Anchun's performance, he still pretended to be deeply wronged. His eyes widened, as if he was extremely angry, and he shouted righteously to the gathered people: "I regret it? I regret how you came out of your mother's belly!"

"The king was bled to death! He was deceived by the church. It was not the work of an evil spirit at all!" "You fools, you all know that bloodletting will cause death when you kill animals. Why do you blame evil spirits when people die? What a nonsense!" "You guys! Can lies be deceived for a while, but can they be deceived for a lifetime? The New Soul Society is a group of hypocritical liars, and the God Emperor is just an old fool. "

The more Kalemi spoke, the more excited he became, and his words became sharper and sharper. The people watching were stunned with fear. This is truly a heresy, they have never seen such an arrogant heresy! The faces of the cardinal and the clerk turned livid. The cardinal waved his hands frantically and ordered someone to step forward to stop them.

Kalemi was still talking nonsense: "Aren't you curious where those little boys who disappear every year have gone?" "We all know it, but no one dares to tell it! I am going to reveal this secret today." "Pop!" No. When the guard approached, the cardinal strode up to Kalemi and slapped him hard on the face. The slap was hard and accurate, and blood immediately oozed from the corner of Kalemi's mouth.

Kalemi stared at the cardinal coldly, and said with a courage that looked back on death: "What right do you have to stop me from speaking!" "Perhaps when you read the verdict, you were more frightened than I was when I heard the verdict." "How many lies have you made up? Let me tell you, there is no geocentric theory at all in this world. The earth under our feet revolves around the sun." "Pa!" Another loud slap on Kalemie's face on the face.

The cardinal flew into a rage and shouted to his men. Although she received two slaps in succession, the resentment that Kalemi had been holding in the dungeon for seven days was finally released. He roared loudly: "Do you know what science is! Fire can destroy me, but it will illuminate the truth. The darkness is about to be driven away, dawn is about to come, and truth will eventually conquer everything!"

While he was making an impassioned speech, an assistant finally climbed onto the execution platform, holding special pliers and forcefully stuffed them into his mouth, and accurately clamped his tongue. The court official pulled the pliers outward with all his strength. Kalemi whined in pain and begged for mercy with tears in her eyes.

The little king and Duke Walter Poulsen were stunned by this scene. They murmured: "Crazy! He is completely crazy! How dare he say these words in public." The cardinal was so angry that he roared : "Set a fire! Burn this heretic to death!"

At this moment, Zhong Anchun and Dogtail Cao'er suddenly drew their swords and instantly hijacked the unsuspecting little king and Duke Walter Poulsen. They immediately shouted: "Do it!"

The atmosphere in the square seemed to have frozen. From Kalemi shouting heretical remarks to the kidnapping of kings and dukes, this series of unexpected events caught people off guard. However, when the first order to take action sounded, the ambushing Jingjiang sailors immediately shouted, and the sound spread throughout the square in an instant.

The sailor hiding in the first row immediately lifted his turban, drew his knife, and broke through the defense line of soldiers under the execution platform. No one expected that dealing with a heresy would lead to such a change. Therefore, the on-site deployment was carried out according to routine, and there were not many people at all! Especially after the king and the duke were kidnapped, the soldiers' attention was focused on the viewing platform on the other side. In this unexpected situation, more than ten people came out and quickly defeated the soldiers and trial officials under the execution platform.

Then a sailor rushed to the execution platform and immediately stabbed to death the trial official who still had Kalemi's tongue between his teeth and cut off the ropes that tied him. With tears in her eyes, Kalemi endured the severe pain and shouted: "Grab that fat man! He is a cardinal and cannot be killed!"

Seeing several pairs of green eyes looking at him, the cardinal shuddered and turned around, wanting to run away. But in the next second, several long knives were placed on his neck at the same time! The crowd of onlookers had become a mess and fled in all directions.

Duke Walter Poulsen looked at the chaotic scene in front of him. Although he was terrified in his heart, he still pretended to be calm and gritted his teeth and asked: "Why? Just for an insignificant sailor, how dare you ignore the diplomatic relations between the two countries?" Dog Tail Cao'er coerced him to walk towards the chaotic crowd and replied coldly: "He may have been just a humble sailor before, but now he is our common people in Jingjiang and our comrade-in-arms. He used to be a Jinyiwei. Do you know what a Jinyiwei is?" ? That is the power of our elder brother and the glory of our Jingjiang. "For this reason, do you want to go to war with Ferrero and the whole church?" Duke Walter Poulsen asked angrily.

"This reason is enough." Gou Tail Cao'er put a sharp knife against the Duke's waist and led him onto the prepared horse. "Do you know what kind of person our eldest brother is? He can do anything for the people and the powerful. Enemy, we can do it too.”

Some sailors quickly rescued Kalemi in the chaos, and most of the surrounding people had dispersed. A large number of Ferrero's officers and soldiers will soon rush to the square, but the king and the duke are in their hands, and they dare not act rashly. Behind Zhong Anchun and Goudaicao'er were the sailors from Jingjiang. The two sides were advancing and retreating, facing each other.

The leading officers and soldiers shouted loudly, but the dog-tailed grass ignored them. They came to an alley and stopped. Zhong Anchun asked in confusion: "Why did you stop?" Dogtail Cao'er said with a smile: "If we go straight to the port, they can't keep following us. You will know later."

Duke Walter Poulsen asked in shock and anger: "Why did you stop? Do you want to have peace talks? Now let me and His Majesty go, and I can promise not to pursue you." Dogtail Cao'er stabbed him with the tip of a knife. Two times, he whispered: "Robbery, hand over all the money you have." "Robbers! You damn robbers! How dare you steal money when disaster is imminent?" The Duke showed an unbelievable look, but his hand Still he obediently took out a few silver coins from his arms.

Dogtail Cao'er took the silver coin and put it in his arms, and then said: "Let them back off, take twenty steps back, and we will let you go." "Back off! Back off twenty steps! Otherwise, His Majesty's life will be in danger." Val. Duke Tbolson closed his eyes and shouted in pain. Now he seems to have no choice but to cooperate.

The little king was so frightened that he was completely at the mercy of others. Zhong Anchun pretended to rub his neck with the knife a few times. The pursuing officers and soldiers had no choice but to slowly retreat twenty steps.

At this moment, Gou Wei Cao'er shouted loudly: "Brothers, come out!" As soon as he finished speaking, more than 20 Jingjiang sailors on both sides of the alley entrance were riding horses, holding torches and leading cattle. Slowly walked out of the shadows.

More than twenty cows lined up side by side, blocking the main street. They faced the foreign officers and soldiers, and Duke Walter Poulsen suddenly felt an unpleasant feeling in his heart. "Light the fire!" The sailors immediately lit the torches, and the oxtails had been soaked in kerosene in advance.

"Moo~~!!" The cattle's eyes instantly turned red, they all roared and ran forward, causing the street to become a mess. Seeing the overturned pursuers, Dogtail Cao'er pulled hard and knocked the Duke off his horse. "Brother Zhong, let's go!" "You're really smart. But are these cows enough?" "There's another wave coming, let's go quickly!"

Jingjiang's fleet slowly left the port. On the deck, Zhong Anchun and Gou Tail Cao'er silently watched Kalemi whip a fat man. That plump buttocks had been whipped until it was covered with blood marks. Although he looked a little ferocious, Kalemi's expression was full of excitement.

"Say! The God-Emperor is a fool!" "The God-Emperor is a fool!" the cardinal wailed with tears. "Science and technology are the primary productive forces!" "Science and technology are the primary productive forces!" "Science is the best antidote to fanaticism and lies." Looking at the cardinal who had fallen into a coma, Zhong Anchun said: "Okay , This fat man is of no use, just leave him on the ship. It is also a waste of food. "

Kalemi stopped his movements regretfully, as he had not yet finished shouting the slogans he had memorized at North Corridor University. Looking at the unconscious Cardinal, he stepped forward and said, "Brother Cao'er, help me." The dog-tailed Cao'er nodded, and the two of them threw the Cardinal into the sea one by one.

The Cardinal drew a perfect parabola in the air, then entered the water butt-first. After finishing the processing, Kalemi looked around and asked, "Where's Fole?" "He started a business in Fole."

There was chaos at the port. A group of foreigners were shouting to start the boat and wanted to pursue them. A figure wrapped in a turban was lying on the wall of a house, looking at the sailing ship in the distance, his eyes filled with tears.

In the deepest part of the North Corridor Academy, in the principal's residence, Lin Xiaofeng was immersed in his desk. His writing is like a dancing dragon and snake, quickly capturing and recording the aura of knowledge. He is immersed in writing theories about cell structure, genetic factors, and even gravity, trying to capture the mysteries of nature in words.

He wrote furiously for two hours, and finally drew a periodic table of elements that seemed reasonable but full of contradictions. Elements are mislabeled and positions are filled in incorrectly, as if it were a little scientific prank. Because his handwriting was very large, within a short time, the thick paper was filled with dense writing.

After finishing writing, Lin Xiaofeng carefully held the scroll and approached the oil lamp. He watched the flames slowly lick the paper, as if burning his hard work. However, at this moment, Principal Lin suddenly waved his arm to disperse the flames. Sparks flew everywhere, and the fire was extinguished instantly, leaving only half of the paper roll smoking on the table.

After the fire was extinguished, although only half of the paper was left, the words "Lin Xiaofeng's Physical Examination - Elementary Chapter" were still clearly visible on the cover, which seemed to tell Lin Xiaofeng's persistence and hard work. He opened the fragment and found that the content inside had been blurred, leaving only some fragments of text. Many places were scorched black by fire, like traces of history and the imprint of knowledge.

Seeing this scene, Principal Lin showed a satisfied smile, as if he saw the continuation of his family heirloom. However, he did not know that this unintentional fire might set back the pace of civilization by hundreds of years.

Lin Xiaofeng carefully put this fragment into a drawer, full of expectations and imagined how future generations of scholars would be filled with emotion and regret for this fragment. His eyes were full of awe of knowledge and longing for the future.

He stood up and wanted to tidy up the messy desktop. At this moment, the door was pushed open, and Li Dexian strode in carrying a fishing rod, frowning and sniffing, as if sniffing the air for something strange.

"What's the smell? Is there a fire here?" Li Dexian asked doubtfully.

"Oh, I accidentally set the draft paper on fire just now." Lin Xiaofeng explained with some embarrassment, "Why are you here again? Can't you find another place to fish? You come to me every day, and the students follow your example. ”

Li Dexian chuckled and took out a letter from his arms nonchalantly, "You are so stingy, I will catch you two fish. Why do you feel bad?" He paused and then said: "This is your letter. Sent from Xixia. I heard the news at Dali Temple this morning and came here to deliver it to you."

"Please sit down." Lin Xiaofeng took the letter, opened it and read it. His eyes quickly scanned the letter, as if looking for some important information.

Five minutes later, he held the letter, looking dazed, as if he was deeply shocked by the content in the letter. Li Dexian saw this and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Tardali is dead." Lin Xiaofeng murmured, as if he didn't want to believe this fact.

Li Dexian took the letter, read it, and asked doubtfully: "How did he die? Was he poisoned by poisonous jade, or was he poisoned?"

Lin Xiaofeng rubbed his eyebrows and sighed: "It's possible. We don't know his inner thoughts. Maybe he is really stupid." Although Taldali's death made him feel a little regretful, after all, it was also his past. Although the students I have taught have gone astray. Moreover, the way he died was too stupid to accept.

The content of the letter is even more jaw-dropping. The letter was written by the Imperial Master Wuzige himself, saying that Taldali was seriously ill and the imperial doctors were helpless. The national master actually took the initiative without authorization and made needles and syringes to inject the medicine directly into the blood vessels. As a result, Taldali died suddenly that day!

This should be the first person in history to die from injection of an unknown herbal medicine. This method, which was not recognized by later generations, was actually invented by him and he tried it himself. What a wonderful person. The letter also included meaningless words such as saying that the domestic situation in Uzhge had stabilized and reminiscing about old friendships. After reading the letter, Lin Xiaofeng asked with some confusion: "Has the palace received this news?"

"I should have received it by now." Li Dexian replied, "How could I tell only you about such a big thing?"

Lin Xiaofeng stood up, "Then let's go to the palace and tell His Majesty the news." He folded the letter and said, "Show this book to His Majesty, maybe he will be interested in it." So the two of them They all went to the palace to see Emperor Jingjiang. At this time, Emperor Jingjiang was busy dealing with political affairs. After the eunuch's announcement, he raised his head to look at them, then glanced at Lin Xiaofeng lightly, and then lowered his head to continue correcting the memorial. The two of them saluted Emperor Jingjiang in unison.

"Yeah." Emperor Jingjiang responded and said, "You know you have to go back to the palace to see me, and you still have a conscience. What's the reason for coming to see me?" Lin Xiaofeng was a little embarrassed. In fact, except for the last time he was called into the palace, he had no Been here again. Firstly, because there is no legitimate reason, and secondly, because I am too comfortable at home.

"My son, I received a letter from Wu Rige." Lin Xiaofeng handed the letter to Emperor Jingjiang, "I specially presented it to my father for review."

"Since the letter has been written to you." Emperor Jingjiang took the letter, but did not open it and put it on the table. "What do you mean by showing it to me?"

"It's a matter of national importance." Lin Xiaofeng said calmly, "I don't think we should hide it privately."

"Okay." Emperor Jingjiang nodded, "Give me a seat." He put down the pen in his hand, pushed away the memorial, and raised his head to look at Lin Xiaofeng, "You came just in time, I just have something to tell you."

"Father, please speak." Lin Xiaofeng said respectfully. He felt a little uneasy, not knowing what Emperor Jingjiang wanted to tell him. At the beginning, he strongly recommended Wangping County as a pilot project for loose business policies. It should have achieved results now, right? Moreover, he also heard that there was a newly transferred official from Zige County, a neighboring county to Wangping County. He had good governance and remarkable achievements, and was praised by the court. This year’s fiscal revenue has increased by more than 20%!
"This year's fiscal revenue report has not been submitted yet." Emperor Jingjiang paused and continued, "I will choose an auspicious day to go and see it in person. Please accompany me." After hearing this, Lin Xiaofeng felt even more uneasy. . Since he came back from Wangping County, he has been sending people to inquire about the news. It is said that the development there is pretty good and the business environment is relatively relaxed, but he is still unsure about the specifics. After all, it’s hard to say whether the person delivering the message is reliable! However, Zige County was able to increase fiscal revenue by more than 20% within one year, which is indeed an impressive political achievement. It seems that there are indeed capable people in that county! Then we can only see what the final result will be.

"I wonder when father plans to set off?" Lin Xiaofeng asked tentatively, his heart full of anticipation and nervousness. He wanted to know whether the pilot project he recommended was successful, and also wanted to know how talented the Zige County official was to be able to achieve such remarkable political achievements. At the same time, he also felt a trace of worry and expectation for his future. If the results of this inspection accompanying Emperor Jingjiang are satisfactory, then his status in the court will undoubtedly be more stable. However, if the results are not satisfactory, then he will also face tremendous pressure and challenges. Therefore, this tour is both an opportunity and a challenge for him. He must be fully prepared for any eventuality.

Li Dexian watched Lin Xiaofeng leave, and then tentatively asked his father, the current emperor: "Father, when can Lao Lin come back?"

Li Dexian muttered with some dissatisfaction: "I see that he wanders out every day and seems to have no intention of coming back. Father, are you waiting for him to ask to come back?"

Emperor Jingjiang snorted, glared at him, and said, "You two are the same. You do nothing all day long. If you don't have ambitions, it's hard to achieve great things."

He paused and continued: "I see that he is enjoying a good life outside, and my hands are itchy. However, it will take some time to get him back."

Li Dexian asked curiously: "When will that happen? Wu Shengguang is currently acting as the commander of the Jinyi Guards. I feel that he is far behind Lao Lin."

"And the recent public opinion of Jin Yiwei is not as good as when Lao Lin was here, and the number of them seems to have decreased."

Emperor Jingjiang knocked on the table and responded: "I know all this, I have already made arrangements, you don't have to worry."

"Lin Xiaofeng wants to come back, but I can't tell him directly. He has to wait until the people below are willing to welcome him back."

"Otherwise, if I directly ordered him to be reinstated, what would the courtiers say? You have to be strategic and not impatient."

Li Dexian became even more curious: "What strategy should we use?"

Emperor Jingjiang smiled mysteriously: "You don't need to know this. You stay here to supervise the country and act in accordance with the rules and regulations. I have already decided on the new arrangement of Jin Yiwei. You should not interfere or ask any questions."

Li Dexian's heart moved, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

According to the emperor's wishes, Jin Yiwei's new arrangement seems to be related to Lao Lin.

"I understand, Father."

The emperor's tour was a national event.

If the coffers are empty, such an action could shake the country to its foundations.

But now that the country is stable and the treasury is full, the emperor also wants to know more about his country.

This time, Emperor Jingjiang decided to visit Duantian Mansion without much discussion with the courtiers.

As a result, opposition immediately arose.

Everyone expressed strong opposition.

As the emperor, his every move will affect the hearts of thousands of people.

Troops need to be dispatched to inspect along the way and safety measures deployed in advance.

Moreover, the emperor's arrival will disrupt the people's originally peaceful life.

Therefore, in the eyes of many people, this is more like "showing off".

The emperor defeated the Xixia Kingdom, and now he may want to go out and experience the feeling of the people cheering.

However, Emperor Jingjiang personally adjusted the travel specifications and made everyone shut up.

Everything was simplified, but the safety procedures were still carried out as usual, with officers and soldiers leading the way.

There were only 500 people accompanying this time, all of whom were elite soldiers selected from the Shenji Camp, Jinyiwei and other Beijing camps. In addition, several officials were selected to accompany them.

Everyone else is staying in the capital and does not need to accompany them.

Although this was not in line with etiquette, Emperor Jingjiang seemed to have made up his mind and immediately issued an edict to implement it as soon as it was announced.

The officials discussed it for a while, and then died down.

It’s not that far anyway, I’ll be back within ten days at most, so it doesn’t matter if we simplify the procedure.

Moreover, many people know that there are Jinyi Guards stationed in Wangping County.

As long as safety is no problem, nothing else is a problem.

··················
The auspicious day has arrived. On the day when the emperor left the palace, all the officials came to see him off.

Lin Xiaofeng accompanied Emperor Jingjiang, and this time brought Brother Hong Xin as his bodyguard.

Looking at the few hundred guards, Lin Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, is it enough to bring so few people?"

Although hundreds of people gathered around Emperor Jingjiang, it seemed like there were a lot of people, but compared with the spectacular scene in Jianjiang, it pales into insignificance.

Emperor Jingjiang glanced at him: "Five hundred people, I think it's too much."

"What's more, with a warrior like Xie Hongxin here, I'm not afraid of meeting assassins. Xie Hongxin, are you okay?" Emperor Jingjiang asked with a smile.

Xie Hongxin replied expressionlessly: "No problem, I'm here, don't worry."

Emperor Jingjiang laughed: "Okay, great! None of my personal guards have the courage like you. How can a coward like Lin Xiaofeng bring out such a brave warrior like you?"

Lin Xiaofeng's old face fell: "I'm not afraid of anything! I'm just worried about His Majesty's safety and want to be perfect."

"Hmph, is an ordinary young man worthy of being near me?" Emperor Jingjiang said, standing up slightly from the dragon's bow, lifting his outer robe, revealing a row of short muskets.

Lin Xiaofeng opened his mouth in surprise: "Your Majesty, don't you feel panicked?"

"I'm telling you, young man, you ask me if I'm okay?" Emperor Jingjiang glared, unbuckled his belt and threw it directly towards Lin Xiaofeng.

"If you feel uncomfortable, just wear it for me!"

Lin Xiaofeng caught the belt and smiled.

He also lifted up his outer robe and fastened a short blunderbuss on his waist: "Your Majesty, I brought one too."

"Then put it on Xie Hongxin."

When Xie Hongxin heard this, he silently lifted up his coat. There were about a dozen guns hanging on both sides, and two on each thigh: "Your Majesty, I brought them too."

Seeing that the three men brought more than twenty guns, Emperor Jingjiang leaned back speechlessly.

With such firepower and force, three people can defeat hundreds of people with a little skill.

The saint drove on. After a while, Emperor Jingjiang suddenly asked: "Since Wangping County relaxed business restrictions, people have been telling me to stop it. It has been a long time now. How do you think Wangping County can succeed?" The certainty?”

Lin Xiaofeng thought for a while and replied: "I don't know. However, I sent many businessmen from Yangqu County to Wangping County to do business, which should have some results."

"As for the overall situation, this issue is more complicated, and it may also depend on Zhao Zhongzhan's own ability."

"I also shared some experiences with Zhao Zhongzhan, and Yangqu County is the best example. As long as you have a full grasp of your own ideas!"

Emperor Jingjiang shook his head and said: "To be honest, I'm not very optimistic about it. Someone mentioned in the memorial that the people's customs there are declining and they are very chaotic."

"Isn't this reasonable?" Lin Xiaofeng was frightened. There was no such thing in his information.

"When I was governing Yangqu County, there were many virtuous people in the county. This must be slandered by someone! This is a lie, absolutely a lie!"

"Well, to be honest, when it comes to the problem of corrupt folk customs, Yangqu County is the most mentioned." Emperor Jingjiang said coldly, "But I can understand it. You are just acting in some vulgar plays and publishing some vulgar books, often If you engage in vulgar activities, after all, if the upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked, the livelihood of the people will be no problem, and I think these vulgar things will not matter. "

?!
Lin Xiaofeng felt panicked.

What does it mean? Are you talking about me? Do you know that I have found several more wives at home?
Very likely!
Thinking of this, Lin Xiaofeng quickly changed the subject and said, "I wonder if Your Majesty is going to Wangping County or Zige County first?"

"Of course it's Zige County. First of all, it's easier, and secondly, many people strongly recommend Wu Shengguang, the magistrate of Zige County to me. This man is only thirty-five years old, but he is very talented. Even among bachelors, he is very talented. Has a very good reputation.”

"I have heard praise for his political achievements more than once. This man is a talent. I believe that if we give him a few more years, Zige County will see earth-shaking changes."

The emperor is traveling, and the scene, hey, is not ordinary. Because I had a large family and things with me, I walked slowly, and it took me two days to reach the territory of Zige County. Officials in Zige County had already gotten wind of the news and had been sending people to keep an eye on where the emperor was going. The county magistrate Wu Shengguang led a group of county officials, all waiting outside the county seat, preparing to welcome the emperor's arrival.

Speaking of this, Wu Shengguang was a tall, upright man. Everyone was so nervous that their palms were sweating, but he acted like nothing was wrong. An official felt uneasy and asked him: "Magistrate Wu, the emperor is coming soon. Why are you still so calm? Do you want to go back to the city to prepare?" Wu Shengguang waved his hand and said, "No, I'm in charge. County, the emperor will definitely be satisfied after seeing it. It’s just that the time is too short. Give me another year and I can make Zige County reach a higher level.”

Since Wu Shengguang took office, he has made great efforts to reform politics and rectify social atmosphere. Everyone in the Academy thinks highly of him and feels that he is different from the loose policies in other places. He did not disappoint everyone. Listen, the business in Wangping County next door is booming, but it is also chaotic. But here in Zige County, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the society is in order. This was all due to his alliance with prominent local figures. After all, they were in charge of most of the business in Zige County.

Wu Shengguang is a smart person, not a rigid person. He had learned from other people's experiences before, but he didn't apply them all, and he also frustrated the enthusiasm of those rich people. He often sends people to check their business and give them some clues when prices rise. If his men dare to take advantage of others or be lazy, he will show no mercy. That's why he can govern so well. In addition, he was an official transferred from the capital, with a strong background and rich resources, so no one in the local area dared to mess with him.

After the emperor inspected the two counties, Wu Shengguang might be promoted and returned to the capital. No one would dare to mention that kind of loose business policy. Wu Shengguang felt happy when he thought about it. The people next to him reminded him again: "Magistrate Wu, should we hold a grand welcome ceremony outside the city? Wouldn't it seem too shabby for our yamen to have only a few people?" Wu Shengguang pondered for a while and shook his head and said, "No. The emperor advocates frugality. This trip should be very low-key. Let's do it this way. If it's too flashy, it will make the emperor unhappy. As long as the city is clean and law and order is not a problem, the emperor just strolls around for a maximum of two days and then leaves. take it easy."

"Our governance this time is so good that we are the best in the country." Wu Shengguang asked with a smile, "Don't you think so?" "Yes, yes, it's all magistrate Wu. If you govern well, the emperor will definitely promote you after seeing it." ." Everyone praised him, "This is really different from Wangping County!" There was laughter outside the city.

It's still ten miles away from Zige County. Lin Xiaofeng was riding a horse and thinking: This father-in-law's patrol is a good opportunity to fulfill his filial piety! When we pass through Zige County and arrive at Wangping County, they will definitely hold a grand welcome ceremony waiting for us - fifty paper flower salutes, a red carpet greeting, ribbon-cutting for public welfare projects, and a fireworks show in the evening! These have been notified to Zhao Zhongzhan in advance haha. Although my father-in-law likes to be frugal, he definitely also likes to see these scenes! Just don’t say it. Some time ago, I gave him some fun, and the corners of his mouth turned up! If it weren't for his special status, I would have taken him out to play.

The army finally arrived outside Zige County. Wu Shengguang and a group of officials knelt down and kowtowed, saying: "I respectfully welcome your Majesty!" Emperor Jingjiang raised his hand and said with a smile: "Oh, you're welcome, get up quickly!" Then everyone stood up. Emperor Jingjiang looked around and finally laid his eyes on Wu Shengguang and said: "You are Wu Shengguang, right? You are indeed a young and promising talent!" Wu Shengguang was so beautiful in his heart that he had to say modestly: "Oh, I don't dare to be your Majesty. You have worked hard all the way, and I have prepared a place for you to rest. Please come to the city and have a rest!" The ministers who accompanied the emperor were very happy.

But Emperor Jingjiang waved his hand and said, "Oh no, no!" "I don't want to disturb the people. Let's all change into casual clothes and come with me for a private visit in private." Wang Jingwen was a little surprised after hearing this: "What will happen to your Majesty's guards? "The guards are stationed outside. What else can happen to Zige County? Don't worry about it." Lin Xiaofeng gently pushed Xie Hongxin and said, "Be more energetic!" Xie Hongxin raised his head and looked very strong. A powerful look. Wu Shengguang also said: "Don't worry, everyone, leave the security of the city to me!"

So everyone put on their casual clothes and went into the city. As soon as they entered the city, Emperor Jingjiang and the accompanying officials were shocked! Apart from anything else, the environmental sanitation is very good! None of the counties we pass along the way are as neat as Zige County! Wu Shengguang secretly observed everyone's reactions and breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that Lin Xiaofeng was good at governing and paid special attention to hygiene, and Emperor Jingjiang particularly admired him, so he naturally wanted to learn from Lin Xiaofeng's advantages. Although this person does not have a good reputation among bachelors, he is willing to adopt it as long as it has advantages! "Why are there so few people in this city?" Emperor Jingjiang asked doubtfully. Wu Shengguang replied: "Your Majesty, you are coming soon. I will send people to inform the people in the city. They are afraid of disturbing you, so they dare not go out casually." "You didn't forbid them to go out, right?" "Your Majesty, you said it in the edict. It has been clearly forbidden to restrict the activities of the people, so I don’t dare to mess around. You should be able to see more people if you walk further in." Emperor Jingjiang nodded with satisfaction.

"Okay, okay, then tell me first how you manage this county so well!" Emperor Jingjiang asked curiously. Wu Shengguang smiled slightly and began to explain in detail to the emperor the various reforms and measures he had taken since he took office...
Wu Shengguang is eloquent and shares his county magistrate experience with everyone in a clear and logical manner. From every detail of his work to the development plans of the entire county, he talks in a clear and logical manner, which is really enjoyable to listen to. A group of them walked on the busiest avenue in the county. There were densely packed shops on both sides of the street. The shouts of vendors and the bargaining sounds of buyers and sellers came and went. It was really lively. Shu Wenxu was a knowledgeable person. He told Emperor Jingjiang from time to time that the prices here were very affordable. Emperor Jingjiang nodded after hearing this, and the ministers behind him also followed suit.

Seeing this, Cai Yingyang became more and more satisfied with Wu Shengguang in his heart. He felt that this man could not only speak, but also do things. He was polite and unhurried, which was much better than Lin Xiaofeng. From time to time, he provoked Lin Xiaofeng with his eyes. Although Lin Xiaofeng was a little speechless, after listening to what Wu Shengguang said, he had to be convinced that he was really good at speaking and couldn't fault anything in his work.

Emperor Jingjiang listened with great interest to Wu Shengguang's introduction at first. However, when they went deep into the hinterland of Zige County and saw the people, Emperor Jingjiang felt that something was wrong. These common people seemed to have no energy, but Wu Shengguang was still talking there. Emperor Jingjiang finally couldn't bear it anymore, interrupted him directly, pointed at the listless common people and asked, "Why are these people so wilted?" Wu Shengguang was stunned, and looked in the direction that Emperor Jingjiang was pointing, a little at a loss. He said, "Aren't all ordinary people like this? They were like this when I first came here." After saying that, he felt a little panicked and quickly said that he would work harder.

Emperor Jingjiang told him not to be nervous, but the doubts in his heart became more and more serious. Lin Xiaofeng also sensed the problem. He looked at the people carefully. They looked like they hadn't had enough to eat for a long time. It stands to reason that under Wu Shengguang's management, the county is in order, and there has been a bumper grain harvest recently, and a lot of high-yielding crops such as sweet potatoes and potatoes have been planted. Plus, the nearby Duantian Mansion, how could these people be like this?

After Wu Shengguang finished speaking, Emperor Jingjiang praised him for his good management and good order in the county. Then he proposed that he wanted to visit the farmland and learn about the people's harvest conditions. Wu Shengguang quickly asked people to prepare the car. Although the ministers were a little tired, no one dared to say anything. The group of them came to the farmland outside the city. The wind blew the wheat fields, which made people feel comfortable.

But at this moment, Lin Xiaofeng found a farmer sitting alone by the field, so he walked over and asked about the situation. The farmer was holding a steamed bun with meat in his hand, but he didn't answer the question. Lin Xiaofeng began to suspect that the situation in Zige County was not simple. He returned to Emperor Jingjiang and reported his findings in a low voice. Emperor Jingjiang's face darkened after hearing this, but he remained calm on the surface.

Wu Shengguang began to panic and didn't know what he had done wrong. Emperor Jingjiang asked everyone else to leave, leaving only Lin Xiaofeng and the others to continue walking. Wu Shengguang and other ministers looked at me and I looked at you, but they didn’t know what was going on.

Emperor Jingjiang said expressionlessly: "You don't need to worry. I understand your efforts. Please step back and have a rest. I want to go for a walk alone and take you back to the city later."

"Your Majesty, this is a desolate place." Someone reminded worriedly.

"It's okay, it's just a stroll, why are you so panicked? Why are you all so timid?" Emperor Jingjiang's tone revealed a hint of displeasure.

After saying that, he walked forward alone.

Lin Xiaofeng and others hurriedly followed him.

The officials on the spot looked at each other, and the atmosphere became delicate.

The senior officials looked solemn, as if a storm was about to come.

His Majesty's reaction was obviously angry. Could it be that the farmer was a liar and that Zige County had set a trap?
At the thought of this, everyone's eyes turned to Wu Shengguang. Cai Yingyang couldn't help but ask: "Did you arrange the farmer who delivered the food?"

Wu Shengguang looked confused: "That's absolutely not the case! How could I do such a clumsy thing?"

"If your majesty wants to fake it when he enters the city, wouldn't it be easier in the city? And your majesty's desire to visit the farmland is just a last-minute idea. How can I have time to make such arrangements? I don't dare to have such an idea!"

"Master Cai, what do you think the purpose of His Majesty's trip is?" someone asked Cai Yingyang.

Cai Yingyang was speechless.

He thought for a moment and felt that Wu Shengguang's words were reasonable and that this incident was indeed rushed.

He looked around at his colleagues, and they all nodded.

Cai Yingyang felt relieved and said: "As long as you act openly and aboveboard, there is no need to be afraid. Your Majesty may really just want to take a walk."

"As long as you act upright and sit upright, with your current achievements, how can His Majesty blame you?"

"Even if there is a misunderstanding, my colleagues and I will definitely seek justice for you."

Wu Shengguang breathed a sigh of relief: "Then I'll be relieved."

"Go back quickly. Send more manpower to patrol the area to ensure His Majesty's safety."

Emperor Jingjiang and his entourage were walking in the fields, gradually getting further and further away.

"Xiao Feng, what exactly is the problem you mentioned?" Emperor Jingjiang asked.

Lin Xiaofeng replied: "Your Majesty, isn't it strange that the farmer suddenly appeared on the edge of the field and had a rich meal?"

"It is indeed a bit strange, but now that people live a prosperous life, there is nothing wrong with eating in the fields. I think, if I were a farmer, I would also like to sit in the fields and enjoy the beautiful scenery while eating."

"But that person didn't feel nervous at all when he saw our fine clothes. This is unusual."

Emperor Jingjiang lowered his head and looked at his clothes.

Although it is everyday clothes, it is made of the finest quality materials and is obviously not suitable for ordinary people to wear.

"You're right, but I think Wu Shengguang is honest and won't take any risks. Without evidence, he wouldn't be so stupid, right?"

Lin Xiaofeng struggled: "I think so too, but to know the truth among the people, you have to check it out for yourself. If it is fake, I guess they will arrange more people to act."

"you sure?"

"I'm 80% sure. Your Majesty, look!" Lin Xiaofeng pointed at the farmer walking towards him.

The farmer seemed to be smiling but not smiling, his expression was stiff.

Lin Xiaofeng pointed at him excitedly and said, "Look, Your Majesty, this person must be another shill. Look how I will expose him!"

Emperor Jingjiang was stunned. He had to admire his son-in-law's ability to recognize people, he had a really sharp eye.

Lin Xiaofeng quickly stepped forward and asked, "Fellow, where are you going?"

Chu Dabao looked up at him, confused: "Who are you?"

"I'm from out of town and want to ask about the situation. Fellow fellow, where are you going?"

"Me? I'm going to the city to have a nice meal. Do you have anything else to ask?"

Lin Xiaofeng sneered: "Going to the city to eat well? Do you still want to buy some good things? Now that you have money, you can buy three or five quilts for the house, and change the quilts for each person?"

Chu Dabao was stunned and suddenly became furious: "Idiot! Is it fun to tease your father? Get out!"

He had just picked up a small ingot of silver in the field. He was in a good mood and wanted to go to the city to buy something.

Damn it, an idiot suddenly pops up and makes fun of himself.

Could it be that you saw yourself picking up silver? Or maybe the money is his?
Thinking of this, Chu Dabao protected his chest, his eyes alert.

Lin Xiaofeng looked at him and knew that he had made a mistake.

He ran back to Emperor Jingjiang in embarrassment.

Not far away, Emperor Jingjiang's face began to turn green, but there were also people snickering secretly.

Haha, this kid also makes mistakes sometimes. But this old hater is really brave. He scolded two people in one sentence.

Lin Xiaofeng looked at Chu Dabao, who was still vigilant, and could only smile cheekily: "It's really hard to find anything without breaking through the iron shoes, and it took no effort to get here. This is the ordinary people I was looking for, and I found him in one try! Find him It’s best to ask about the situation!”

"You'd better shut up."

"..."

Emperor Jingjiang walked towards Chu Dabao with a straight face.

"What is your name?"

"Who are you?" Chu Dabao became nervous. Why are so many people staring at him?

He always felt that he could no longer keep his money and was ready to run away.

Lin Xiaofeng jumped out again and introduced: "Don't worry, fellow, we are merchants from the capital and want to do business here, so we need to know some things. Don't worry, we won't ask in vain, we will give you money."

Give money?

Chu Dabao felt relieved and asked: "So that's it, what do you call me?"

"This is Mr. Huang, I am his son-in-law, surnamed Qian, and this is Mr. Accountant." Lin Xiaofeng introduced them one by one.

Emperor Jingjiang asked in a low voice: "Why is your surname Qian?"

"Because officials all love money." Lin Xiaofeng replied.

Chu Dabao lowered his guard a little and said, "If you want to know anything, just ask. I have to go to the city."

"This fellow seems to have a lot to say. Can I come and sit at your house? It's very windy outside. Let's sit down and chat slowly. What do you call me?"

"My name is Chu Dabao. If you need anything, please tell me quickly. I have to go to the city."

Chu Dabao shook his head and rejected their invitation.

Bringing four strangers home? Who knows where they came from? After all, he is the only one living at home.

Seeing that he still didn't trust them, Lin Xiaofeng reached for his chest, hoping to get some money as reward, but he felt embarrassed as soon as he touched it. Because he put the money in his old clothes when he changed his clothes, he didn't expect that he would need money for a business trip with the emperor, so this was embarrassing.

He looked back at Emperor Jingjiang and others, and asked in a low voice: "Who brought the money?"

All three people shook their heads and said they didn't bring any money. Lin Xiaofeng felt a little embarrassed. It is normal for the emperor to go out without money. Xie Hongxin did not bring any money either. He must have exchanged all the money for weapons.

He thought about it and had no choice but to take off the ring from his finger, handed it to Chu Dabao, and said, "I'll give this to you as a reward."

Chu Dabao took the ring, looked at it carefully in the sun, and said, "Oh, isn't this just a thimble?"

"What thimble? This is a jade ring!" Lin Xiaofeng looked at the ignorant farmer speechlessly and said.

"Wow, this ring is really big!" Chu Dabao exclaimed and happily put it into his pocket.

Look at the appearance of the ring. It is really beautiful. It is made of jade and must be worth a lot of money!

"Fellow, can we go to your house to sit and have a chat?" we asked tentatively.

"Okay, no problem." He agreed readily.

So, the four of us followed Chu Dabao back home. After walking for about twenty minutes, we arrived at a small wooden house surrounded by orchards.

The hut was quite crudely built, a solitary room, and even the stove was set outside.

The furnishings in the room are simple, with a kang and a table, and there is dust everywhere.

Five people were crowded into this small room, and it was really hard to turn around.

Lin Xiaofeng looked around and felt confident. It seems that this Chu Dabao is an old bachelor and has no one else at home. Otherwise, why wouldn't he build another room? After all, he still has such a large orchard.

Chu Dabao was also very knowledgeable. He saw that we were rich people, so he immediately took two broken-looking bowls and scooped two bowls of water from the bucket in the corner of the room. He held the water and walked up to Emperor Jingjiang a little shyly: "There are only two bowls of water, please drink."

Emperor Jingjiang smiled, but did not take the water. Wang Jingwen also remained motionless. The two bowls looked too dirty to eat.

Xie Hongxin and I didn't dislike it, so we each picked up a bowl and drank it. I am really thirsty. I have never seen anything dirty before, as long as the water is clean.

Seeing that we don't dislike him, Chu Dabao is very happy.

Emperor Jingjiang said: "We are here mainly because we want to understand the customs and customs of the county, and we also plan to do some business in the county. What do you think of Zige County now? Are the people living well?"

Unexpectedly, when Chu Dabao heard this, his expression changed, and he stared at Emperor Jingjiang closely. After a while, he said with a straight face: "Don't you have eyes? Don't you know how to see for yourself? It's great! The people have no worries about food and clothing and are comfortable!"

Wang Jingwen was a little unhappy: "Why are you talking?"

Emperor Jingjiang raised his eyebrows and signaled him not to get excited: "I think the people in the city are not in a good mental state, but they are not as good as you said."

Chu Dabao said mockingly: "Don't you have eyes?"

"You don't believe what you see, but you insist on listening to me? Do you want to hear good things?"

His words were so stinging that Emperor Jingjiang didn't know what to say for a moment. I pulled him and whispered: "Master, let me ask him. He is wary of us."

"Why does he speak so strangely?"

"People have taboos in their hearts. If they can't speak directly, they can only beat around the bush."

I turned around, smiled and said to Chu Dabao: "Fellow, don't be angry. I'm just going to ask you a few questions, and you just tell me, are the people in Zige living a good life?"

Chu Dabao said with a look of disgust: "Don't do this! How do I know if you are sent by the government to collect good things? If you want to hear good things, just make it up yourself. If I tell the truth, I will be unlucky. It’s me!”

"You two, hurry up and leave. Our small place cannot accommodate big Buddhas like you!" As he said that, Chu Dabao came to push me.

I tried my best to block him and shouted loudly: "How could something like this happen in broad daylight? Send people to collect good things from the people? Isn't this what Wu Shengguang, the magistrate of Zige County, did?"

Dog officer? !
Chu Dabao stopped and looked at me in disbelief.

"Are you really here to do business?"

"Of course, my dad and I came here all the way from the capital with our family. What else could we do here if we weren't doing business? We couldn't compete with our peers in the capital and were suppressed, so we came to a small place like this. I heard that the officials in Zige County are very honest and well-known throughout Tianfu, so we came here."

"But you don't think that's the case? Brother, tell me, we came all the way here and have already lost more than half of our family property in the capital. If we fail here again, it will really be a disaster. There is no way to survive.”

I narrated the story in an exaggerated manner, and Chu Dabao slapped his thigh and sighed: "Oh, you guys are in the wrong place! If you want to do business, you should go to Wangping County! I heard that it is the most suitable place for doing business. You can make money by selling anything.”

"Is there anything wrong here?"

Chu Dabao said: "You don't know, this Zige County is already extremely corrupt!"

"On the surface, it looks good. But in reality? Let me tell you, everything is much more expensive than outside! Ordinary people who want to do business have no way to get involved!"

"Why?" I asked quickly, "I see that the prices sold on the streets are much cheaper than in the capital."

We all pricked up our ears and listened carefully.

Chu Dabao continued: "Don't listen to their nonsense! Those businesses are all done by prestigious landlords in the city. Although the prices they shout are low, if you want to buy something at that price, I call you Daddy. OK!"

We all looked at each other.

"Tell me more carefully. Is there such an unheard-of strange thing? I heard that the new magistrate of our county is an expert in the capital. How could he allow such a thing to happen?"

Chu Dabao opened his chatterbox and said eloquently: "Yes, who says no?! When the new official took office, the people of Zige warmly welcomed him. Indeed, he did a lot of practical things. The landlords bullied the people, and he He cracked down on landlords; he cracked down on profiteers who used inferior goods to sell goods at exorbitant prices."

"Even when officials bullied the people, he took action to correct them. In the first two months, everything was fine, no one was bullied, and prices were very cheap."

"But who knew that in less than two months, prices in the city would skyrocket. Although the prices hawked are low, except for private backdoors where you can buy things at the original price, you can't buy them at all!"

"Especially the prices of medicinal materials have doubled. If you get even a little sick, your belongings will be depleted and your life will be in vain!"

Emperor Jingjiang murmured to himself solemnly: "The outside is gold and jade, but the inside is rotten. I didn't expect it to be rotten to this extent."

"Haha, that's not all. The officials and landlords who used to oppress the people are back again, and they are getting worse! Anyone who dares to say something wrong will suffer consequences later."

"People who originally had a good family background, but after a year of hard work, they encountered some minor illnesses or disasters, and fell back into poverty. All the family land was sold to big landowners, and they could only do long-term labor."

"Everyone has guessed that the local wealthy households have colluded with the government for a long time. New businessmen like you, I dare say, will be squeezed out in less than a month. There is no way to survive here! "

This is land annexation, local gentry monopoly, and it seems that it is collusion between government and businessmen.

I thought to myself.

Chu Dabao got excited and suddenly stamped his foot: "It was fine in the past few years, and the days became more and more prosperous, but now it's not good anymore. If this continues, I'm afraid I won't even be able to eat!"

"Damn it, the court is really messing around and sending such a bastard county magistrate! But tell me, is it possible that because we in Jingjiang are short of money at war with the Xixia Kingdom, we change the law and in small towns like us? Making money from the common people?”

Wang Jingwen's heart seemed to be grabbed by someone, and he quickly looked at Emperor Jingjiang.

Emperor Jingjiang's fists were clenched tightly, the veins on the back of his hands were exposed, and his face was covered with a cloud of displeasure. This subtle emotional change was keenly captured by Wang Jingwen standing aside. He stepped forward lightly and said softly in a comforting tone: "Master, please don't take these words to heart. These common people, their life is to eat, sleep, and then complain to the court. But you know, Even though they are complaining now, if the country really encounters a foreign enemy, their hearts will still stand with us. When I was growing up in the countryside, I saw many such scenes, so you really don’t need to care too much. "

Xie Hongxin's ears were sharp and he heard Wang Jingwen's words. He whispered in a low voice: "I never said anything bad about the imperial court."

Wang Jingwen immediately became angry. He glared at Xie Hongxin and scolded him angrily: "You idiot, who said anything about you? You're such a talkative person!" After saying that, he muttered to himself: " You want to interrupt every time, but if you don’t speak, no one will treat you as a mute!”

However, Xie Hongxin's silence unexpectedly brought a little relief to Emperor Jingjiang. Emperor Jingjiang's eyes showed a look of approval, and he praised: "This is the real wisdom, great wisdom is like foolishness."

Wang Jingwen was choked by these words and was speechless for a moment.

At this moment, Chu Dabao stepped forward and bluntly criticized the court's mistakes in front of Emperor Jingjiang. Lin Xiaofeng listened with fear. He hurriedly warned Chu Dabao: "Are you willing to die? Although my old father-in-law has always been kind, he is in a bad mood today. Are you still talking nonsense here, or even making up some conspiracy theory?"

But Chu Dabao was stubborn: "I know best whether my own life is good or not. I love my country, but who will care about me? The imperial court sent a fool to Zige as the county magistrate, and the county Isn’t this the fault of the imperial court for not letting anyone talk now?”

Lin Xiaofeng looked back at Emperor Jingjiang and saw that his face was slightly gloomy, so he responded calmly: "The court's original intention is good, but the people below may have made deviations when executing it."

Chu Dabao snorted disdainfully: "The yamen is still the same yamen, but the county magistrate has been changed. Why is everything in chaos? Isn't this the responsibility of the county magistrate?"

"The imperial court has already begun to deal with this problem." Lin Xiaofeng explained patiently, "What you can think of, can the imperial court not think of?"

Chu Dabao was so angry that his face turned red and his neck thickened: "I only care about this when I'm full. Can you do it?"

Lin Xiaofeng asked: "Then why are you worrying so much since you are already full?"

"Whose side are you on?" Chu Dabao asked angrily.

Lin Xiaofeng replied righteously: "The Jingjiang Kingdom is prosperous and your Majesty is wise and powerful. Don't you know?"

Chu Dabao was stunned for a moment, turned his head in embarrassment, and muttered: "Your Majesty is wise, but my life is still so miserable. Where does your Majesty's wisdom lie?"

Lin Xiaofeng was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to respond.

Emperor Jingjiang took a deep breath and broke the stalemate: "Okay, stop arguing. Come with me for a walk." After that, he led Lin Xiaofeng, Chu Dabao and others out, leaving Xie Hongxin behind. Sitting alone in the room, it seems that I am isolated from the world.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, Lin Xiaofeng spoke first, with deep worry in his tone: "Your Majesty, I am deeply saddened to encounter such a thing during this patrol. When will the hypocrisy and corruption in official circles stop?"

Emperor Jingjiang sighed: "I think Wu Shengguang looks magnanimous on the surface, but in fact he has a human face and a beast's heart. Alas, I sometimes make mistakes."

"Your Majesty, I think Wu Shengguang may have been deceived." Lin Xiaofeng defended Wu Shengguang.

"How do you say this?" Emperor Jingjiang asked doubtfully.

Lin Xiaofeng explained: "Wu Shengguang has just arrived, and his methods are ruthless and straightforward, and he wants to quickly rectify the atmosphere of the officialdom. But he has no foundation or connections here, so everyone is wary of his three tricks as a new official. He can temporarily resist the temptation and not seek for anything. It was a temporary gain. However, as time went by, people in the county government began to be unable to tolerate his style, so they banded together to deceive him."

"Then how to explain the increase in annual income in Zige County?" Emperor Jingjiang continued to ask.

"This may be part of the benefits that the wealthy households voluntarily gave up in order to stabilize Wu Shengguang." Lin Xiaofeng analyzed, "Compared to the benefits they obtained by exploiting the people, these 20% of benefits are simply insignificant. As long as they can stabilize Wu Shengguang, Wu Shengguang, they will be able to monopolize the whole city and continue to exploit the people. "

Emperor Jingjiang nodded, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"And in my opinion, Wu Shengguang's nature is not bad." Lin Xiaofeng continued, "Like many scholars, he has the common problem of not having his feet wet in the mud, and his understanding of the people's sentiments is not deep enough. If he rarely goes among the people, it is all because of If subordinates report to make decisions, they can easily be deceived. When governing a county, if you cannot go to the ground to understand the people's conditions in person, there will definitely be serious negligence. "

Seeing that Emperor Jingjiang was fascinated by what he heard, Lin Xiaofeng showed a look of nostalgia and emotion on his face: "When I used to work in Yangqu County, I did everything myself. Whether it was streets or buildings, I had to personally inspect and verify them. I couldn't rest until the project was completed. As for public opinion, I also conduct monthly surveys, personally intervene in major incidents, and record everything. Then I will mediate based on the records to verify the interests of all parties to achieve a result that satisfies everyone. "

However, Emperor Jingjiang was a little lost. He said hesitantly: "How can you be so diligent?"

Lin Xiaofeng smiled slightly and did not respond directly. His eyes flashed with a deep light, as if he was thinking about some far-reaching plan. There was an elusive depth in his smile, as if suggesting that some unknown journey was about to begin.

Emperor Jingjiang frowned, as if he was in some kind of heavy thinking, "What you said does make sense." He said slowly, and every word revealed the emperor's majesty and calmness.

He turned to look at Wang Jingwen who was aside, "Eunuch Wang, please stay here for me to patrol, observe carefully, and be sure to find out what's wrong!" His voice was firm and decisive.

Wang Jingwen asked in shock: "Your Majesty, are you planning to return to the capital?" His face was full of doubts and confusion, as if he could not understand the profound meaning of the emperor's move.

"No, I plan to go directly to Wangping County for a private visit incognito." Emperor Jingjiang's voice was calm and firm, as if he was announcing a normal thing, "If Wangping County also has this kind of hypocrisy, I will take advantage of it. They were not prepared to strike."

Lin Xiaofeng opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say that this was a fallacy and that the grand ceremony he had arranged was wasted. But then I thought, this is fine, but if we welcome it with great fanfare, wouldn't it be digging our own grave? Although he thought so in his heart, his face remained calm without any wavering.

Before Lin Xiaofeng could speak, Wang Jingwen became anxious: "Your Majesty, you can't do this. Even if you are not afraid of danger, you still need someone to serve you along the way." His face was full of worry, as if he was afraid that the emperor would encounter anything. danger.

"Do I need your service?" Emperor Jingjiang asked, with a hint of disdain in his tone, "Besides, isn't Xiaofeng here? It only takes two days to travel to Wangping County, so it won't take much time."

"How can Captain Lin serve people?" Wang Jingwen was still worried, "Your Majesty, you should lead everyone to Wangping County. You can send someone to investigate the situation here later."

Emperor Jingjiang waved his hand and said: "No, the situation stated in the report may be very different from reality. This trip is just a good opportunity to observe the real situation and understand the sufferings of the people." There was a firm light in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind to personally To understand what is really going on in this country.

He looked at Lin Xiaofeng, a glint of trust flashing in his eyes: "Xiaofeng has always been safe and sound, I feel at ease. Right?"

, Lin Xiaofeng responded immediately, forcing out a flattering smile: "Cha!" However, this answer confused Emperor Jingjiang and Wang Jingwen at the same time.

"Huh? What is this called?" Emperor Jingjiang asked doubtfully, frowning slightly, obviously confused by this novel vocabulary.

Wang Jingwen was equally confused, but he was more immersed in the mystery of this word. "Huh? This word is so amazing!" He sighed inwardly, as if he was drawn into a bottomless whirlpool by this simple word.

After a brief period of contemplation, Emperor Jingjiang's voice sounded again: "You can go back now." He said calmly, as if everything was under his control.

Wang Jingwen looked troubled, obviously hesitant about the emperor's order. "If they can't see His Majesty, they will definitely look for it. How should I explain it?" he asked cautiously, fearing that his answer would cause the emperor's dissatisfaction.

"Just tell them that I have found a farmer's house to live in. Everything is fine. Now I want to experience folk life in depth and don't want to be disturbed. I will be back in two days. This way, although they will be worried, they will also believe it. It can be delayed for a day or two." Lin Xiaofeng suggested, his voice calm and powerful, as if he had found a perfect solution to this problem.

Emperor Jingjiang nodded in agreement with this suggestion, while Wang Jingwen still looked embarrassed. "Is this really okay?" he asked uncertainly, clearly still doubting the plan.

"Go! Isn't everything I say useless now?" Emperor Jingjiang's voice suddenly became stern, as if he was reprimanding Wang Jingwen.

Wang Jingwen sighed deeply helplessly: "Cha!" He replied, with a hint of helplessness and submission in his voice.

However, Emperor Jingjiang was not satisfied with his answer. "What are you talking about? You are so old that you can't even speak?" He frowned, obviously dissatisfied with Wang Jingwen's answer.

Wang Jingwen felt a little aggrieved by the emperor's reprimand, so he pursed his lips and said nothing more. He turned and left, feeling helpless and confused.

At this moment, Chu Dabao was complaining to Xie Hongxin about the hardships of life in the house. "Brother, I can tell from the first look at you that you are someone who has seen the world. Unlike me, I live a miserable life every day. I don't know how I survived this year." His voice was full of emotion. The helplessness and hardship of life.

"I just live my life guarding the few acres of orchards at home. But I can't sell them at a high price in Zige County, so I can only sell them to rich households at low prices. Then I watch them sell them at high prices." Chu Dabao continued, with a tone of voice. Revealing the helplessness of life and dissatisfaction with the rich.

"I started resting on my laurels last year. If I can't sell at a good price this year, I will lose all my savings. Then I will be hungry." He sighed, as if he had seen the despair of life. .

Xie Hongxin had been listening to Chu Dabao's complaints silently and rarely interrupted. However, when he heard the word "starving", he finally spoke: "Why don't you go out and sell fruit? Staying here all the time is not an option."

Chu Dabao sighed helplessly, with a sad look on his face: "My grandfathers have stayed here, one third of an acre. Not to mention whether I dare to go out, I don't even have a wife, who can help me look after the house? ?”

"Why did your father have you?" Xie Hongxin asked suddenly. This question made Chu Dabao speechless for a moment.

"I...I mean what if I go out and my orchard is occupied by someone?" Chu Dabao changed the subject with some embarrassment.

"What's the problem? I'll just wait until you come back and grab it back." Xie Hongxin said easily, as if this was not a big problem.

However, Chu Dabao didn't think so. He looked at Xie Hongxin with a grimace: "Big man, it's easy for you to say. But if someone really takes advantage of me, where can I reason?"

Xie Hongxin looked at him and shook his head helplessly: "To put it bluntly, you are just too timid to go out. Everything else is just an excuse."

Chu Dabao, who was told the central issue, had a bitter look on his face. He hesitated to speak, and finally let out a sigh of relief: "Maybe you are right. The farthest place I have ever been to in my life is Zige County. I can't go anywhere. I’ve never been there, and I’m afraid of getting lost, being robbed, or being cheated.”

"You think too much, and no one will care about you at all." Xie Hongxin said bluntly, "I was poor before, but then I went out for a walk and my life became better."

Hearing this, Chu Dabao's eyes flashed with light: "Have you...have you encountered anything?"

"The first time I traveled far away, I encountered bandits who blocked the road and robbed me." Xie Hongxin said calmly.

Chu Dabao's heart tightened and he asked eagerly: "What happened next?"

"I robbed the bandit." Xie Hongxin's tone revealed a hint of pride.

At this time, Lin Xiaofeng pushed the door open and interrupted their conversation: "Let's go! Get ready to go to Wangping County!" He said loudly, as if he couldn't wait.

Xie Hongxin stood up, and Chu Dabao asked hurriedly: "Are you going to Wangping County?"

"Yes! There is probably not much business to do in this shabby place." Lin Xiaofeng said, "Let's go directly to Wangping County to make a fortune."

Xie Hongxin pointed at Chu Dabao: "He also wants to sell fruit, but he can't get a good price here."

Lin Xiaofeng looked at Chu Dabao curiously: "Do you want to go? If you want, then let's go together! But... do you have a carriage and horses?"

Chu Dabao timidly said: "Uh... I have a donkey cart."

"Great! Then we'll take your car!" Lin Xiaofeng said happily, "It saves us having to look for horses again."

Chu Dabao was a little moved, and he asked in a low voice: "Is this really appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate?" Lin Xiaofeng looked around the house, "Looking at your house, there are only two bowls in total, and one is broken. No thieves will come here! Why not come with us and go to Wangping County Try your luck. I’ll give you some money as a thank you gift!”

Chu Dabao was silent for a moment, and then nodded with determination: "Okay! Just wait for me for a while, and I'll prepare some things and go with you!"

In the spacious courtyard of the Purple Pavilion, officials gathered closely around Wang Jingwen, their faces full of worry, as if a heavy cloud enveloped everyone's heart. Ever since Wang Jingwen returned from a long journey and brought back the disturbing news, the atmosphere here has become heavy and depressing. People were talking and talking, but most of them were filled with endless worries and doubts.

Wang Jingwen's head seemed to be heavy with countless questions. He took a deep breath and explained patiently again: "Colleagues, please listen to me. Your Majesty is really safe and sound." His voice was full of determination, trying to disperse the crowd. Doubts in my mind. "His Majesty just met a villager on the road. The two chatted happily, and His Majesty was invited to stay at the villager's house for one night. There was only one person in that household, and the environment was safe, so there was no need to worry. Moreover, Captain Lin and Xie Hongxin also Stay with me to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

However, Bai Yongyuan still frowned: "Your Majesty's trip is indeed inappropriate. Eunuch, where is your Majesty now? I want to find him in person to avoid everyone being worried." Wang Jingwen shook his head gently, with a bitter smile on his lips. : "Bai Laoge, you don't have to worry. Your Majesty has spent his entire life in the military. Why not want a moment of peace now? I have conducted a thorough investigation of the surrounding environment and there is absolutely no danger. Your Majesty has ordered, Zige County I will handle your affairs for the time being, and you can all perform your duties as usual."

Wu Shengguang stepped forward and broke the brief silence: "My lords have been waiting for a long time, and you must be hungry. I have ordered people to prepare wine and food. My father-in-law and your lords may as well have a meal first, and then deal with official business after dinner." Hearing this? , Wang Jingwen frowned slightly. He reached out and took out an apple with green leaves from his sleeve, wiped it casually and took a bite: "No, I'm not hungry. If you are hungry, just go and have a meal. I will also There’s something important to do.”

In Chu Dabao's orchard, there are a lot of fruits, and he is busy picking them. However, Lin Xiaofeng kept urging her, and in the end she only picked a cart full of apples. Behind this urging was actually the instruction of Emperor Jingjiang. Whether Wang Jingwen can stabilize the officials is still unknown, but Emperor Jingjiang is determined to visit privately incognito and personally go deep into the people to understand the real situation.

When the last cart of apples was loaded, Chu Dabao looked at the fully loaded donkey cart, but he felt a little uneasy: "You can't make much money from a cart of fruit." Lin Xiaofeng comforted: "Although the profit is meager, it's better than nothing." We can sell the fruits on the way back to Zige County, wouldn’t it be nice?” (End of Chapter)