Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Old Qi, over forty years old, had dark skin and looked like a seasoned farmer.

He usually seemed stern and unsmiling.

Hearing Fang Zheng's words, Old Qi looked somewhat helpless: "Master, the houses in the county are still waiting for me to build them. If I leave, I'm afraid the people below won't do a good job."

Fang Zheng said dismissively, "It doesn't matter!"

"You should also let go! If you have to do everything yourself, how can you achieve great things!"

"Old Qi! A person should have ideals. What's the use of building ten thousand ordinary houses? No one will remember who you are."

"We'll build wonders! Just do it well, don't think about anything else!"

Old Qi didn't speak, indicating his agreement.

Thinking about the county government building and Peach Garden Theater he had built, he felt a little uncomfortable.

The master just liked these fancy, strange things... It's only because there are few outsiders in Peach Garden County, otherwise many people would be laughing at the weird shapes of these two buildings he built.

His reputation was being damaged!

He didn't know what kind of tricks he would be up to when he went to Jianjiang. He hoped there weren't many people there.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Fang Zheng waved his hand!

"Let's go!"

................

Jianjiang, on a pleasure boat on Clear Lake.

Xie Xian carefully walked into a room, holding a bowl of medicinal soup.

Seeing the patient on the bed, he said, "Erlang, wake up and drink your medicine!"

Zhou Tie's face was pale and his lips were chapped. Seeing that it was Xie Xian, he forced a smile: "Cough... cough... Thank you... Lao Xie."

Xie Xian looked helpless: "You could have ridden a horse, it wouldn't have taken two days longer. How could you fall into the water on a boat?"

Zhou Tie looked embarrassed: "You don't know, I heard that Zhang Biao gets seasick... Heh heh heh, I insisted on taking a boat, cough... cough!"

Xie Xian looked at Zhou Tie like he was an idiot.

After drinking a bowl of medicinal soup, Xie Xian took the bowl and whispered, "Lao Zhou, it's just the two of us here. Tell me, did you buy your title of 'Martial Arts Champion'? How much did it cost?"

Zhou Tie's eyes widened, and he laboriously stretched out a hand, pointing at him tremblingly.

"You... you... I treat you as a friend, and you suspect me?"

Xie Xian was a little embarrassed: "Of course not! Don't take it to heart, it's just that I have some regrets about not taking the imperial examination. It's nothing, you should rest now."

After speaking, he was about to walk out with the bowl.

Zhou Tie quickly stopped him: "Lao Xie... I know you look down on me..."

"I'll tell you a secret... cough... When I was drunk on the boat, I created a set of saber techniques. I call it the 'Mad Wolf Saber Technique'! Three moves... just three moves, and if Zhang Biao meets me, I'll guarantee his head will fall to the ground!"

"Don't tell anyone, cough! This is my trump card. When I return to the county, I will definitely wash away my shame! Hehe!"

As he spoke, Zhou Tie looked at the ceiling, his eyes full of fantasy, and couldn't help but let out an idiotic laugh.

Seeing his behavior, Xie Xian immediately turned around and went out.

He ran into Lian Gui, who was about to enter the room, at the door.

Seeing Xie Xian holding the soup bowl, Lian Gui asked, "Is the medicine finished? How is he now? All the brothers have arrived, just waiting for you."

"He's doing great! He told me he created a set of saber techniques that will make Zhang Biao's head fall to the ground in three moves!"

"Hahahaha ha ha!"

"Hahahaha ah ha ha ha ha!"

Hearing the rampant laughter outside the door, Zhou Tie's face suddenly turned red.

He slammed the bedside hard and roared angrily:

"Damn it! !"

Hearing the roar from inside the room, Xie Xian and Lian Gui quickly covered their mouths and slipped away.

In the hall, the pleasure boat had been remodeled, leaving only a huge long table in the center.

Dozens of chairs were placed around it.

Usually, everyone gathered at this table to discuss matters and eat.

The seat of honor was always empty, obviously reserved for Fang Zheng.

After Xie Xian scanned the room and saw that everyone was there, he walked straight to his seat.

As soon as he sat down, he said, "It's rare for everyone to be here today."

"I guess we won't be gathering on the boat many more times. Let's do this one last job and leave. What progress has everyone made recently? Let's all talk about it."

Shen Zhaoxuan smiled triumphantly: "What progress can there be! Stealing grain? How much can you steal? Give me some more time and I'll be able to unify all the large and small sects in Jianjiang!"

"I just destroyed a branch of the Water God Sect this morning."

"If you ask me, you can all stop. It's a waste of time and doesn't do any good."

"Listen to me, stay for another month! Then I can rob you of as much grain as you want!"

"Let's do this one last job and leave!"

After Shen Zhaoxuan finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly became a little silent.

Xie Xian glanced at Shen Zhaoxuan and said slowly, "The master doesn't want us to act rashly. You're making such a big commotion, are you looking for death?"

Lian Gui grinned and shouted, "Lao Shen is awesome now! He looks down on us. With more than five thousand men under his command, isn't he walking sideways? Looks like even if the master comes, he won't indulge him!"

Everyone's eyes focused on Shen Zhaoxuan.

Shen Zhaoxuan swallowed and said慌张, "Don't talk nonsense!"

"Aren't I afraid that I won't be able to explain myself if I go back so dejectedly?"

"Besides, I can't control so many people! I told you that a long time ago."

Xie Xian's voice sounded again: "The master was originally going to let us go back, but everyone was afraid of losing face and wanted to do one last job before leaving. If you do this, it will be difficult to end things."

"Also, you haven't asked me for money for so long."

"Five thousand people, five thousand mouths, where did your money and grain come from?"

Shen Zhaoxuan was silent for a while: "Yes, it's just that everyone stayed here because they were afraid of losing face if they went back."

"I have five thousand people I can use now, which makes it much easier to do anything. Many officials have approached me."

"So, you don't have to worry about money and grain."

Xie Xian frowned: "Did they see you? Aren't you afraid of being used?"

Shen Zhaoxuan spread his hands and said easily, "Of course I'm afraid, but I don't have any leverage to be seized."

"I've been wearing a mask all the time, no one knows what I look like."

"Our Free and Easy Sect's slogan is 'Love the country, love the family! Dedication to work!' When have we ever done anything illegal or undisciplined?"

"When the sect members are recognized on the street, they are welcomed on both sides of the road. Who doesn't like that?"

"The few small sects I've overthrown outside are the real evil sects, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil."

"So Lao Xie, just relax, it's not a big problem."

"Tonight, the Jianjiang Prefect is even holding a banquet to invite me to dinner!"

Lian Gui shouted loudly, "Go my ass! Are you safe just by wearing a mask? If they detain you there, will the brothers accompany you to jail?"

"You're talking nonsense! Why would they imprison me?"

"Which official talks to you about reason? Don't you know what the master is like?"

"Damn it, I'm going to tell the master..."

Xie Xian felt a burst of烦躁 in his heart: "Alright! Stop arguing! Lao Shen, don't go... I feel like there's a problem, find an excuse to decline."

"Also, disband those five thousand people as soon as possible. I don't care what method you use, let's get out of here quickly!"

Shen Zhaoxuan looked indignant: "Are we really going to go back so dejectedly? You know the master, he's not afraid of us causing trouble, he's just afraid that the trouble won't be caused!"

"We'll lose all face if we go back! Besides, it's no problem to disband the people, but if we suddenly disband like this, the sect members below won't be restrained. I need time!"

"Otherwise, if we just disband like that, someone will definitely take the lead and start it up again. I won't be able to control what the Free and Easy Sect will be like by then."

"If a group of rioters and cultists are really created, that will be a real problem!"

"How long do you need?"

"At least a month, I have to clear out those dishonest people below one by one."

Xie Xian tapped the table with his index finger, thinking for a long time: "Okay, just one month! Hurry up."

Shen Zhaoxuan nodded in agreement.

"What about the others?"

Wei Cai stood up and said, "I also need some time here. Only half of the tunnel has been dug. Recently, the number of people guarding the granaries of the Sun and Wang families has been increasing."

"Our people can't move too much, so it's been delayed in terms of time."

"I don't know why... Why are those rich bastards guarding their granaries so strictly recently?"

Bai Rui, who was next to him, said, "There must be some unspeakable secrets."

"Have you noticed that the porridge in the disaster relief sheds outside the city has been getting thinner and thinner recently?"

"I went to the official granary last night, and the granary is still quite full, but..."

As he spoke, Bai Rui took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and poured it onto the table.

Grains of rice scattered on the table, but they were of different colors.

"Everyone, take a look. At least half of the rice in the official granary is moldy rice! The remaining half is old rice."

"Why is the porridge getting thinner and thinner? Do you even need to ask? The official granary is out of grain!"

"The Sun and Wang families are selling grain privately. Originally, four taels of silver could buy one shi of grain, but now you're lucky to buy half a kilogram! Rice is as expensive as gold!"

Xie Xian sighed: "There shouldn't be moldy rice in the official granary, which means there's only one possibility."

"There's collusion between officials and merchants, someone is replacing new rice with moldy rice."

"It seems we really found the right rich bastards!"

Shen Zhaoxuan chuckled: "In that case... then we don't need to be polite, I'll directly take the people below and rob them all under the cover of night!"

"No matter how many people they have guarding the granary, how many more can there be?"

Xie Xian flatly rejected: "No! As things stand, it's no longer something we can manage."

"Dig the tunnel as soon as possible, and prepare more sandbags during this time, and exchange as much grain as possible in ten days."

"Then we'll go back to the county!"

..................