Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

On the way back, a continuous drizzle began to fall from the sky.

After leaving the boundaries of Taoyuan County, the road to the capital became exceptionally muddy.

Emperor Jing's carriage got stuck in the mud several times, and Guo Tianyang had to get out and push the carriage with the driver, which was extremely miserable.

However, after finally entering the outskirts of the capital, Emperor Jing became even more troubled.

The area was filled with a mixed crowd and rampant traffic, and everything was chaotic.

The carriage was constantly stuck on the road.

The driver kept arguing with the people in front, and Emperor Jing, sitting in the carriage, became increasingly irritable.

Guo Tianyang also lowered his head and dared not speak.

Suddenly, the carriage shook violently, followed by the driver's scream from outside.

Guo Tianyang quickly leaned out to check the situation, only to see that the carriage had sunk into a mud pit, and the driver had lost his grip and fallen off the carriage.

Half of his body was soaked in the mud pit, and he was holding his forehead while complaining.

"This damn place! I should have stayed in the county!"

A group of ragged hooligans around him burst into laughter at his miserable state.

Guo Tianyang also frowned and quickly urged the driver to get up and continue on his way.

This place was not like Taoyuan County, the order was extremely poor, and it was a mixed bag of people.

The driver agreed verbally, struggling a few times in the mud pit, but perhaps he had broken a bone, he couldn't get up.

The laughter around him grew louder.

Helpless, Guo Tianyang had to endure the irritability in his heart and get out of the car to help the driver.

Back in the carriage, just as he was about to start driving again, Emperor Jing suddenly spoke.

"No need to take the carriage, let's walk back."

"Your Majesty, it's still raining, you can't get wet."

Emperor Jing pointed outside and said, "Will taking the carriage be faster than walking? Look at these potholes on the road, sinking with every step, I'm afraid we won't be back until tomorrow."

"Driver! You can go back now."

After saying that, he ordered Guo Tianyang to hand over twenty taels of silver.

The driver was overjoyed and thanked him profusely before driving the carriage away.

Guo Tianyang was speechless, looking at the carriage going further and further away, he suddenly missed Taoyuan County.

How were the roads there built! Why was the city so clean!

The capital city, as the center of Jing, could be so poorly managed!

The inner city was not far ahead, but the road was still winding and full of sewage.

The people were very casual, dumping garbage and feces directly at the door, spreading with the rainwater.

Several children playing in the rain didn't care, chasing and playing in the sewage, scooping up handfuls of water and splashing each other.

The air was filled with an undisguised fishy stench.

Emperor Jing looked at the inner city not far away, his eyes filled with deep worry, and he sighed deeply.

"I originally thought that after unifying the world, implementing benevolent governance and reducing corvée, the people's lives would naturally become prosperous, but now I have simplified things, I didn't expect that I am far inferior to a small magistrate, ridiculous, really ridiculous!"

Guo Tianyang quickly comforted him, "Your Majesty possesses the world, how can a mere small county compare."

Emperor Jing did not speak, looked around for a while, then lifted his legs and walked towards the inner city.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, the two entered the inner city, and at this moment, Emperor Jing was completely soaked, and his boots were covered in mud.

Guo Tianyang was panting and following behind, especially since he was still carrying twenty pounds of tea.

Emperor Jing often stayed in the military camp, and his physical strength was excellent, and he walked quickly.

Guo Tianyang was so tired that he could barely keep up, constantly cursing this damn environment in his heart along the way.

He breathed a sigh of relief after entering the inner city, and quickly said to Emperor Jing, "Your Majesty, there is an inner guard stronghold nearby in the inner city, I will contact a carriage, and the road ahead will be easier."

Emperor Jing nodded, looked around, although the road surface had been leveled a lot, it still looked muddy, and the unpleasant smell still lingered in the air.

Looking at the mess in front of him, Emperor Jing fell into thought again.

......

At this time, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, Li Yansong, was reviewing memorials, and the other Grand Secretaries were also performing their duties, constantly reviewing issues related to criminal law and finance.

At this moment, a minor official trotted all the way into the Inner Cabinet's office.

Looking anxious, he took out a red paper envelope from his waist.

"Lord Li! There is news from His Majesty!"

The ministers in the office all looked up in surprise.

Li Yansong stopped writing, quickly got up and took the envelope to read, then raised his head and said happily, "Gentlemen! His Majesty has returned to the palace!"

Grand Academicians of the Inner Cabinet, Zheng Qiao and Zhang Dongxiang, were overjoyed upon hearing this.

The emperor has finally returned! He left a letter and left the palace privately, and the crown prince supervised the country but ignored the court!

This day has finally come to an end! And it's much faster than expected.

Li Yansong faced the minor official and said, "Quickly send someone to notify the messengers to Hengjiang Prefecture to return."

The minor official nodded in agreement and turned around and ran out.

Li Yansong said happily, "Everyone, I am going to see His Majesty, is anyone going with me?"

Zheng Qiao and Zhang Dongxiang quickly nodded, "Let's go together! Let's go together!"

The three rushed to the Imperial Study, and Guo Tianyang was already waiting at the door.

"Please come in, the three of you, His Majesty has been waiting for a long time."

Li Yansong and the three looked at each other, and then said to Guo Tianyang, "Thank you, Eunuch Guo."

Then they went straight into the Imperial Study.

Inside the Imperial Study, the memorials on Emperor Jing's desk were piled up like a mountain.

Li Yansong and the three originally had some intention of questioning him, but when they saw this scene, they looked at each other in dismay.

Finally, Li Yansong spoke first, "Your Majesty! Why did you leave without saying goodbye, the courtiers were all driven crazy."

Emperor Jing didn't even raise his head, writing on the memorial stroke by stroke.

"I just wanted to go out for a walk."

"Gentlemen, look at these memorials, how has the crown prince supervised the country these past few days? What have the ministers in the court done!"

Emperor Jing's voice seemed unhurried.

Li Yansong instantly stalled, originally wanting to continue complaining, but mentioning the crown prince.....

Zheng Qiao said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, these past few days, the crown prince.... has never attended court...."

"Where is he? What has he been doing these past few days? You as important ministers in the court don't even care about him?"

Emperor Jing's voice contained anger.

"Your Majesty, it's not that this old minister doesn't care... it's just that I really can't control him."

Zhang Dongxiang's face was long: "If it's not a headache, it's a foot pain, he's been ill every day, the imperial physicians went to see him but couldn't find anything wrong, in short, he's just uncomfortable."

"We really have no way...."

"These past few days that Your Majesty was away, the crown prince also built a Tiger and Leopard Garden, besides beast fighting, he spends his days recuperating in it."

"And also....."

Zhang Dongxiang was impatient, the more he spoke, the more excited he became, the other two Grand Secretaries couldn't stop him even if they wanted to at this time.

They could only listen to him complaining, cold sweat dripping down their faces.

Emperor Jing's face gradually darkened...

......