The magistrate of Taiping County has been in dire straits recently. Due to his poor flood prevention, countless people in his jurisdiction have been killed or injured, especially the villages near the Xiangxi, Machuan River, Zhuxi River and other rivers, which were the hardest hit. A total of 56 villages were razed to the ground by floods overnight, and there were only a handful of survivors in each village. The situation in other towns and villages was not much better, with bones piled up in the wild. White flags were hung everywhere in the entire Taiping County, and more than 90% of the people became disaster victims, suffering from hunger and cold. There was widespread wailing, and it was a human tragedy.
If other counties were also hit by the disaster, the situation of the magistrate of Taiping County might be better.
However, Jingnan County, which is closest to Taiping County and has the most intersections with it, presents a completely different scene.
Because Jingnan County Magistrate Zhu Ping'an had made preparations in advance before the flood, although Jingnan was not spared from the flood, no one in Jingnan County was killed in this once-in-a-century flood.
On one side, there were countless casualties and piles of bones in the wild, while on the other side, no one was killed. The contrast was sharp! It highlighted the incompetence of the Taiping County Magistrate! It also made Zhu Ping'an, his colleague whom he disliked, envied, and hated, look extremely outstanding!
It was for this reason that the surviving people in Taiping County complained and cursed at the magistrate!
In particular, someone spread the news that Jingnan County Magistrate Zhu Ping'an had sent a letter to their Taiping County Magistrate several days in advance before the flood to remind them to take flood prevention and control measures. However, the letter was torn up and thrown away by their "good" county magistrate as if it were garbage. After the news came out, the people of Taiping County cursed the Taiping County Magistrate even more harshly.
People used to insult others by calling them stupid pigs, foolish dogs, etc., but now they use the name of the magistrate of Taiping instead of pigs and dogs.
The people of Taiping County were displaced, and the place where they gathered in the wilderness was called "Taiping County Magistrate Village", the piles of grass where they slept were called "Taiping County Magistrate Beds", the wild vegetables they ate to fill their stomachs were called "Taiping County Magistrate Delicacies", and the grasshoppers and other insects they ate to improve their diet were called "Taiping County Magistrate Meat"... ...
In short, in Taiping County, the Taiping County Magistrate is synonymous with a series of words such as "stupid" and "incompetent".
"Since the flood, I have been doing my best to organize disaster relief and have never had a day off. Why can't they see it? Everyone looks at me with a sidelong glance and scolds me in front of others and behind their backs..."
The Taiping County Magistrate walked around the county government office with his hands behind his back, his brows full of annoyance and resentment.
"The ignorant people are the most short-sighted. They can't see Dong Weng's hard work. They can live their current lives because of Dong Weng's hard work. Dong Weng please calm down and take care of yourself. We in Taiping County can't do without Dong Weng."
The staff whispered to comfort him.
"Alas... If everyone could understand my hard work like you do, my job would be much easier."
The Taiping County Magistrate sighed, reached out and patted his staff member on the shoulder, and was very touched by the staff member's consolation.
"Well, let's not talk about this for now. How is the construction of the resettlement area for disaster victims going?" the Taiping County Magistrate asked his staff.
Although Taiping County Magistrate never said he regretted it, he regretted it deeply in his heart. He regretted not listening to Zhu Ping'an at that time, so he sent people to closely monitor Zhu Ping'an's actions in the neighboring county and secretly learned Zhu Ping'an's disaster relief methods. For example, this disaster relief resettlement area is the Jingnan flood shelter area that he learned from. However, for some unspeakable considerations, Taiping County Magistrate changed the name of the flood shelter area to the disaster relief resettlement area.
"Return to Dongweng. We are back from the resettlement area. The site has been leveled. We are coordinating the transportation of wood and straw. We will probably be able to start building shanties for the victims this afternoon."
The aide replied.
"Why did they only level the site now? The progress is too slow. Didn't they start leveling the site three days ago? It only took one or two days to build the flood shelter in Jingnan, from leveling the land to building sheds."
The Taiping County Magistrate said dissatisfiedly.
"To Mr. Dong, the people below are being cunning and the victims are unwilling to work. This is the result of my constant monitoring. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will take another three to five days to level the ground." The aide wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a wry smile.
There were some things he didn't say. Dong Weng had not been to the disaster resettlement area, and he didn't know the situation on the spot. He had no supplies of money and food. He just used administrative orders to force the people below and the disaster victims to work hard. How could he get things done quickly? Moreover, the prestige of the county government among the people was declining day by day.
"This bunch of unruly people, I worked so hard to build a flood shelter, no, a resettlement area for the victims, for whom?! They are so unreasonable that they don't even bother to put in the effort... They deserve this!" Upon hearing this, the Taiping County Magistrate couldn't help but curse out loud. After cursing, he turned around and asked his staff, "By the way, I asked you to keep an eye on Jingnan. Is there any new movement there recently?"
"What's wrong? Has he come up with some brilliant plan?"
After asking this question, the Taiping County Magistrate saw a strange expression on his aide's face and immediately asked nervously.
On the one hand, he hoped that Zhu Ping'an would come up with some good ideas so that he could learn from him; on the other hand, he was worried that Zhu Ping'an would come up with another good idea, otherwise, when Taiping County and Jingnan County were compared, he would just serve as a contrast to Zhu Ping'an!
"Mr. Dong, Lord Zhu..." The aide shook his head and said with a complicated expression.
"What's wrong with him? Tell me quickly." Taiping County Magistrate couldn't help but urge.
"Mr. Dong, Lord Zhu has issued an official document to various places in Jingnan. The document defines the price of grain in various places in Jingnan as 2,500 coins per stone." When the aide said this, there was an expression of disbelief on his face.
"What? Two thousand five hundred coins per stone?!" Upon hearing this, the Taiping County Magistrate's face changed with shock.
"Mr. Dong, although it is hard to believe, it is true. I even rode to Jingnan on horseback to verify it. I saw the official document with my own eyes. The document was stamped with the bright red seal of the magistrate of Jingnan! The grain shops in various parts of Jingnan have indeed raised the price of grain to 2,500 wen per dan." said the aide.
"Is Zhu Ping'an crazy? In the face of the flood, from the capital to the lower levels, those grain merchants who raised the prices were either beheaded or imprisoned, and they were all using thunderous means to lower the grain prices! He actually went against the grain and raised the grain prices so high?! What good will this do him?!"
The magistrate of Taiping took a deep breath, unable to believe that Zhu Ping'an would make such a policy.
"What benefit will it bring to him?! Ahem, the county magistrate heard that grain merchants from all over Jingnan were lining up to send thank-you gifts to Zhu Ping'an, and Zhu Ping'an was overwhelmed with gifts... There were also some foreign grain merchants who heard the news and rushed to Jingnan to make a fortune, and Zhu Ping'an also sent people to them in the name of 'fundraising', which was a real benefit! According to the grapevine, Zhu Ping'an received this much in gifts alone." The aide sneered and made a gesture.
"Eight thousand taels? So much!" The Taiping County Magistrate opened his mouth in shock.
"It's 80,000 taels!" the aide corrected.
"What, eighty thousand taels?!" Upon hearing this, the Taiping County Magistrate's eyes almost popped out of his head. Not only were they bulging, but they were also red as if they were congested. "Zhu Ping'an's ability to make money is also fucking top-notch!!"
After being shocked and jealous, the Taiping County Magistrate turned around twice with his hands behind his back and couldn't help cursing!
How the hell can I steal someone's skills
If I try to steal your skills again, my ancestral grave will be dug up by the angry people of Taiping County!
Zhu Ping'an, Zhu Ping'an, I didn't expect you to be such a person!
During the flood period, I put aside my past grudges and tried to learn from you! I didn't expect that you would become a corrupt official!
However, this is also good. After cursing for a few times, Magistrate Taiping suddenly smiled again. He waved to his staff and ordered them, "Hurry up and spread this news! The wider the better, the farther the better! Humph, let those ignorant people see what kind of face the person they are obsessed with and praising is! By the way, later, you draft an official document for me. I want to expose and impeach Zhu Ping'an to the governor."