Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

The three of them chatted in the pavilion for a while longer before finally dispersing, completely satisfied.

The promotion of sanitary napkins couldn't be rushed, and Fang Zheng Yi wasn't worried.

After all, current productivity was limited, so only the nobles in the palace could use them first, and then slowly expand from there.

Bringing Li Yuanzhao into the fold was part of his plan, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly, and even the princess got involved.

It was a pleasant surprise. If it could be promoted within the palace, it would be a considerable source of income, earning the government's money, which was both stable and profitable.

Even in later generations, everyone would be scrambling for government projects, let alone now that he had two powerful insiders in the palace!

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

The next day, he attended the court as usual.

Fang Zheng Yi deliberately wore a telescope behind his back, thinking that Zhang Shi, that old fox, might try to screw him over.

After all, one of the servants he sent had left Peach Blossom County, and he didn't know if the news had leaked.

Logically speaking, he hadn't made any major mistakes, except for expanding Peach Blossom County quite a bit, dumping manure water into the neighboring county, forcibly kidnapping many merchants, and killing some people he shouldn't have killed. There shouldn't be anything else.

In any case, it was always right to have a treasure to ward off disaster.

In recent years, because he was too afraid of death, he had forced the people of Peach Blossom County to max out all the technology points, and now it was finally coming in handy.

At the court meeting, Emperor Jing didn't say much else to Fang Zheng Yi.

He just said a few casual words to show his concern, and Fang Zheng Yi also exchanged some pleasantries.

Then, the officials offered their advice. Fang Zheng Yi stood there, feeling pain in his lower back and unable to listen to a single word.

Before long, Zhang Shi stood up and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I want to impeach Shao Zhan Shi Fang Zheng Yi!"

Emperor Jing stared at Zhang Shi, his dragon eyes slightly furrowed, feeling somewhat displeased.

He was a Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, so why was he fixated on Fang Zheng Yi? Didn't his son just get beaten up? Was it necessary to be so relentless?

"Speak."

Fang Zheng Yi perked up a bit when he heard this and quickly loosened his muscles.

Zhang Shi said in a deep voice, "I want to accuse Fang Zheng Yi of three major crimes! First, he privately expanded the area of the county under his jurisdiction, and the scale of the city walls exceeded the regulations!"

"Second! He forcibly deceived the people of the surrounding counties and villages into joining Peach Blossom County!"

"Third! Peach Blossom County has not been taxed for seven years! There is a suspicion of tax evasion!"

"All three crimes are supported by ample evidence. Please punish him severely, Your Majesty!"

After Zhang Shi finished speaking, he looked at Fang Zheng Yi coldly.

He didn't know what kind of magic Fang Zheng Yi had used on the most capable servants he had sent out, but they had all voluntarily stayed in Peach Blossom County.

Fortunately, one loyal servant ran back to report the news, but then that person left crying, saying he was going home to pick up his mother, and saying something about being sorry to Peach Blossom County.

Damn it!

Thinking of this, Zhang Shi felt a chill in his heart.

The same went for his rebellious son at home. He had only met Fang Zheng Yi once, and after that, he would be as scared as a rabbit whenever he heard his name!

Could it be that Fang Zheng Yi knew some kind of magic or had bewitched people? He had lived for decades and had never seen such a strange thing before....

If such a treacherous villain like Fang Zheng Yi was not eliminated, the court would probably be in chaos....

Fang Zheng Yi laughed after listening. Was that all? Was that all!?

After all that effort, he only found out this much. It seemed that young master was indeed pure and flawless, and no one could find any fault with him.

Which of these things that Zhang Shi said did Emperor Jing not know? The referee was his man, so what could he do?!

Putting his mind at ease, Fang Zheng Yi returned to his usual calm state.

Emperor Jing was not surprised to hear this. He had already noticed something was wrong when he entered the county seat, but... he had never heard of forcibly deceiving the people of the surrounding counties and villages...

But with Peach Blossom County developing into that state, was there any reason to deceive the people to come? He was afraid they couldn't even stop them! Absurd!

So he said faintly, "Fang Qing, do you have anything to say?"

"Your Majesty, I have nothing to say."

"Hmm."

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

The court was suddenly silent. Zhang Shi stared at the emperor in horror with wide eyes.

What did this mean? It was over after asking these two questions? Ask him! Why didn't he ask him!

Could it be that His Majesty had also been bewitched?!

Zhang Shi became anxious: "Please make a wise decision, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Jing closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, then sighed.

Why did he have to bring this up? He already knew it. Even if Fang Zheng Yi overstepped the bounds, so be it. He couldn't rebel anyway.

Now the Crown Prince was being well taught by him, and the princess's illness had also been cured by him.

If Zhang Shi hadn't brought it up, Emperor Jing would have been too lazy to pay attention to this.... The main thing was that the taxes owed by Peach Blossom County had been used by him to fill his private treasury... How could he say that?

"Alright, I understand. Then where is the evidence?"

Zhang Shi's face lit up: "The witness is waiting outside the palace. Please summon him, Your Majesty!"

"Granted!"

Before long, a chubby figure was brought into the hall, his forehead covered in sweat.

As soon as he saw Emperor Jing, he knelt down and said, "Your subject! Tang Shou, the deputy magistrate of Guiyuan County, kowtows to Your Majesty!"

"Rise, I heard from Zhang Qing that you have evidence of Fang Zheng Yi's crimes. Tell me all the crimes!"

Tang Shou glanced at Fang Zheng Yi, and his thoughts drifted back to a few years ago. A look of hatred gradually appeared on his face: "I was originally the magistrate of Jihua County."

"Jihua County is not far from Peach Blossom County, but its terrain is much lower than that of Peach Blossom County."

"I vaguely remember that just two or three years ago, Fang Zheng Yi suddenly came to me, saying that Peach Blossom County was under construction and lacked population, and that he wanted to borrow some people from this county."

"Of course I didn't agree! At that time, the war had not stopped, and there was also a famine. Both Jihua County and Peach Blossom County had a population of less than 10,000, and they were only exempted from being abolished because of the war."

"Later... Fang Zheng Yi said that he was willing to exchange the elderly, weak, women, and children of Jihua County for young and strong laborers, so I agreed!"

Speaking of this, Tang Shou's expression became even more grief-stricken: "Who knew that the young people from Peach Blossom County never worked, they just ate and drank every day!"

"The things they ate were all sent from Peach Blossom County. Those young people would take white flour buns and a bowl of stewed meat and stroll from the head of the county to the tail every day."

"They ate when they were full! They slept when they were full!"

The officials gasped.

Oh dear, tsk tsk tsk, look at this Fang Zheng Yi.

He was really like a panda ordering takeout, devious to the extreme!

"The young people in our county were all drooling! In less than a year... a large part of the young people in the county ran away. Later, because the number of people was too small, Jihua County was downgraded to Jihua Township...."

The courtiers began to chuckle. This Tang Shou was unlucky enough.

Tang Shou wiped away his tears, feeling aggrieved in his heart. He had clearly not made any mistakes, but he was inexplicably demoted by one level...

Li Yuanzhao had no expression on his face in the hall, but his face was as red as a tomato, and he was trembling all over.

Emperor Jing was not much better, almost laughing out loud.

This Fang Zheng Yi was really... not doing anything human!

"Continue speaking!"