This was the first time that Ganzhou Governor Lei Sitong came to Pingxi County for inspection since the Ye Tiancheng case broke out.
The Ye family case was the biggest case in Ganzhou last year, shocking the whole country and involving a wide range of people. After the Ye family incident, the entire Pingxi County officialdom also ushered in a major earthquake. Officials in Pingxi County, from top to bottom, all those above the seventh rank, from the County Magistrate's Office to the Governor's Office, were basically replaced. Officials who were labeled as Ye Tiancheng's accomplices and officials who lost power because of the Ye family accounted for more than 80%. Even those who were not implicated were subsequently transferred to other places.
After this rectification, there were only a few officials in Pingxi County who could still sit in their original positions safely.
Huangfu Qianqi had made some contributions in capturing Ye Tiancheng, and later served as the acting prefect of Pingxi County for a period of time. But later, half a year ago, Huangfu Qianqi was transferred from Pingxi County to another place. Everyone in Pingxi County, from the prefect to the commander-in-chief, were newcomers, and they were all Lei Sitong's men. They followed Lei Sitong's lead, and the entire Pingxi County officially fell under Lei Sitong's control.
Lei Sitong's visit to Pingxi County this time is of great significance...
…
"Now everyone in Ganzhou calls Lei Sitong the Thunder Tiger. This tiger is usually silent, but once he shows his might, he will bite and swallow big families in Ganzhou like the Ye family, leaving no residue behind. Just thinking about it makes people tremble in their bones and feel cold in their hearts. Lei Tiger is black-hearted, ruthless, has a bad temper, has a strong backer, and has a large number of soldiers under his command who are as fierce as wolves and tigers. In Ganzhou, his word is final. Now, the powerful families in various counties in Ganzhou dare not even breathe when they see him. They are trembling with fear. Even the arrogant and domineering Shatu people in the past have become much more honest this year. The Shatu people in Pingxi City have never made trouble again. Lei Tiger has not been to Pingxi County since he took office as the governor, but he came just a few days after you came back to Pingxi County. This time, I think it means that the tiger is peeing in the woods. He wants to let you know whose territory this is. Be careful that he will show you his power..."
"I met the Governor last year and have some understanding of his temper. It is true that he has a bad temper and is ruthless, but he would not try to intimidate me. At most, he wants to reminisce about the past and talk about what happened in the Imperial Capital!" Yan Liqiang replied with a smile.
He was not surprised that the governor wanted to see him. Judging from the time, the governor probably heard that he was back and let him reunite with his family at home for two days before preparing to come to Pingxi County. The most important reason why the governor wanted to see him was that he wanted to find out from him what the emperor thought and planned about the seven tribes of Shatu after appointing him as the governor of Qiyun, and at the same time evaluate the impact on Ganzhou. Although he asked Manager You to release the news when he was in the Imperial Capital, Lei Sitong, as the governor of a state, obviously would not make decisions based on rumors and gossip alone. He wanted to see him, that was for sure.
Lei Sitong wanted to meet Yan Liqiang, and Yan Liqiang also wanted to see Lei Sitong again. This time he came to Ganzhou, Lei Sitong was someone he had to deal with. Only with Lei Sitong's support could many things come to fruition. This time he met Lei Sitong, he just wanted to feel out Lei Sitong's background, and the two sides would talk first and see.
"Li Qiang, you are not the same as before. As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind. Your reputation is not only spread in Ganzhou, but also in the northwestern states. You can make a name for yourself in the Imperial Capital. Some people even say that you can communicate with gods in dreams. Lei Lao Hu is the governor of Ganzhou. You have such a great reputation now. You are in Ganzhou and hold the position of Qiyun Supervisor, which is not under his jurisdiction. It's hard to say what Lei Lao Hu is thinking. We have to be on guard!"
"Well, uncle is right, I will be careful!" Ever since he recognized Mr. Lu last time, Yan Liqiang always called Mr. Lu "uncle" when he was with him. "I wonder what the temper of the governor and the governor of Pingxi County is like now!"
"The commander-in-chief of Pingxi County is Liu Yucheng. I heard that he was a trusted lieutenant of Lei Lao Hu. The governor of Pingxi County, Wang Jianbei, was also a Dianshi in the governor's mansion. These two people are not from Ganzhou. I heard that they are from wealthy families in the south. I met them last time. They are not simple characters. Even if they are by Lei Lao Hu's side, they are outstanding figures!"
"Lei Sitong has only been in Ganzhou for six years. It was only after he took down the Ye family last year that his authority as the governor of Ganzhou was truly established. It is inevitable that he will arrange to promote his close associates to control Pingxi County!"
"That being said, although Lei Lao Hu may seem rough and rude, he is actually a man of great skill and meticulousness. You can tell from the fact that he transferred Huangfu Qianlin to Weiyuan County as the military commander. Weiyuan County was originally the home of the Ye family. Although the Ye family has fallen, the Ye family's followers and influence in Weiyuan County cannot be completely eliminated all at once. Huangfu Qianlin helped Sun Bingchen take down Ye Tiancheng in Pingxi County, and he is already irreconcilable with the Ye family. Lei Lao Hu transferred Huangfu Qianlin to Weiyuan County, which is killing two birds with one stone..."
Hearing that Huangfu Qianlin was transferred to Weiyuan County as the governor, Yan Liqiang just sighed secretly in his heart. Huangfu Qianlin was capable and diligent. Originally, there was no problem for him to be a county magistrate after Ye Tiancheng's downfall. However, Huangfu Qianlin's biggest problem was that he had no backing. Huangfu Qianlin was not from a wealthy family, but from an ordinary family. He worked hard step by step to where he is today. He was neither a member of the Ye family, nor a member of Sun Bingchen's family, nor a confidant of Lei Sitong. Therefore, he was there when the work was done, but when the work was done and it was time to eat the fruit, he would not get any benefits. In Lei Sitong's eyes, Huangfu Qianlin was just a small chess piece. In the eyes of ordinary people, a county governor is considered to be a high-ranking and powerful position, which is enviable. However, looking at the officialdom of Ganzhou, this position is nothing. For a person without a backing background, if he can reach this position in the officialdom, it is basically the end of the road. If he wants to go further, it will be extremely difficult. The invisible ceiling will make many people hit their heads and bleed. I am afraid that only Huangfu Qianlin himself knows the taste of it.
The rumbling four-wheeled carriage was running slowly on the official road outside Pingxi County. Old Master Lu, who was sitting in the carriage, was telling Yan Liqiang about the changes in Ganzhou and Pingxi County over the past year. At the same time, he was looking at the furnishings and arrangements in the carriage with great interest. Even though Old Master Lu was knowledgeable, today was the first time he sat in Yan Liqiang's four-wheeled carriage. He felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. He touched here and looked there, his eyes full of amazement.
Lei Sitong came to Pingxi County this time to meet, in addition to Yan Liqiang, Pingxi County officials of all levels, as well as local "wise men", are also on his list of invited guests. As the local tyrants in Pingxi County, Mr. Lu was naturally also invited. He received an invitation the day before yesterday and went to Pingxi City for a banquet today. Yan Liqiang went to Lujiazhuang first, and after picking up Mr. Lu, he and Mr. Lu took the same four-wheeled carriage.
Today, this black four-wheeled carriage drove out of the manufacturing bureau for the first time. On the way from the manufacturing bureau to Lujiazhuang, everyone who saw it could not help but stare in amazement. They stopped on the road one by one to look at the incredible four-wheeled carriage. When Yan Liqiang came to Lujiazhuang just now, the whole Lujiazhuang was in an uproar. Countless people came to see the novelty. The carriage was surrounded by people inside and outside. The feeling of seeing this four-wheeled carriage one by one made Yan Liqiang's little vanity and sense of accomplishment reach the greatest satisfaction. When Yan Liqiang and Mr. Lu took the carriage to leave Lujiazhuang, the half-grown children in Lujiazhuang chased the carriage for more than a mile along the way in this cold weather.
"I read a letter from Payne saying that you created something called a newspaper in the Imperial Capital. It caused a sensation in the entire Imperial Capital. The entire Imperial Capital, from the princes and ministers to the peddlers and hawkers, was reading the newspaper you created?"
"That's what I thought of when I saw the court newspaper. It's not as magical as Brother Lu said. It can only be said that it is somewhat useful. Newspapers are easy to make and the threshold is very low. I think it won't be long before Ganzhou will have one!"
"Of course there are. There are already some in Lanzhou. Last time, a manager of the Lu family went to Lanzhou for business and brought back a copy. Everyone in the manor found it interesting after reading it. Beixin even asked Payne to ask someone to bring back the newspaper from the Imperial Capital City regularly. She wanted to read it..." As Mr. Lu spoke, he subtly turned the topic to Lu Beixin.
"By the way, I didn't see Miss Nine today. I wonder where she went?"
Mr. Lu smiled and looked at Yan Liqiang. "This girl was very happy when she knew you were back a few days ago, but for some reason, she didn't come out today when she knew you were at the village!"
After hearing what Mr. Lu said, Yan Liqiang could only rub his face, not knowing what to say. When the young lady's temper and his daughter's thoughts were mixed together, it was the most difficult to predict.
The wind was howling outside, but the carriage was very comfortable. The closed compartment kept the cold out, and the highly technical spring carriage suspension raised the comfort of riding in the carriage to the extreme of this era. The glazed windows were closed, but people could still vaguely see the scenery outside the windows. Yan Liqiang and Mr. Lu were chatting in the carriage, and they could vaguely see where the carriage went. The people they met on the road outside were amazed. Many people who were originally riding rhinoceros horses on the road saw this unusual four-wheeled carriage and turned their horses around and followed behind the carriage to see the wonder...
If it weren't for Zhou Yong and four other fully armed soldiers from the Manufacturing Bureau riding on rhinoceros horses escorting the carriage and preventing people from approaching easily, Yan Liqiang would probably have been blocked by a group of curious people on the road.
"Look, the carriage..."
"Ah, there are four-wheeled ones, how can they run so fast and be so light..."
"That driver is so impressive..."
"The turn, the carriage turned..."
Although the two people were sitting in the carriage, the discussions and exclamations of the people following the carriage outside could be heard inside the carriage.
Such an experience of traveling where people gather around you wherever you go was the first time for Mr. Lu, even at his old age. And Hu Haihe, the coachman, was filled with excitement at this moment. Although he was driving the carriage, he felt like a general inspecting the military camp. The whip in his hand was crackling in the air. Several soldiers guarding the carriage straightened their backs, looking at the gorgeous carriage with pride in their hearts.
When the beautiful four-wheeled carriage arrived at the gate of Pingxi County, dozens of onlookers who had met on the road had unknowingly followed the carriage. When those people saw this beautiful and majestic four-wheeled carriage, they kept following it and were reluctant to leave.
When they arrived at the city gate, there were more people entering and leaving the city. The four-wheeled carriage that Yan Liqiang and his companions were riding in arrived at the gate of Pingxi County, and immediately caused a huge sensation. Many people stopped at the city gate, looking at the four-wheeled carriage that they had never seen before, and they were all stunned.
The soldiers guarding the city gate were also stunned. They watched the gorgeous four-wheeled carriage pulled by two black rhinoceros horses enter the city. For a moment, they forgot to speak...
"My goodness, this four-wheeled carriage is so magnificent, I have never seen it before, could it be the governor's carriage..." After the carriage entered the city, a soldier at the city gate sighed...
"Ah, but I remember that the governor rode into the city on horseback yesterday!"
"In Ganzhou, apart from the governor, who else can have such a carriage?"
…
It was not until the four-wheeled carriage drove into Pingxi City that Yan Liqiang realized that he had underestimated the impact of the four-wheeled carriage on people, especially in the city, where such an impact was more likely to form a herd effect.
The carriage was moving slowly on the street. Wherever it passed, there was silence at first, and then a huge noise came.
"Look, a carriage!"
"Wow! So beautiful!"
“So impressive…”
"Sir, the governor should be in there..."
On both sides of the street, countless people were scrambling to watch the four-wheeled carriage. Compared with the two-wheeled carriages that were also driving on the street, this four-wheeled carriage stood out from the crowd and was dazzling. Pedestrians on the street stopped to watch, and the windows of the restaurants and teahouses on the street opened one by one. Countless people stuck their heads out of the windows to look at the four-wheeled carriage passing by on the street. Even the two-wheeled carriages that were also driving the street, when they saw the four-wheeled carriage coming, the coachmen couldn't help but stop their carriages guiltily, made way, and raised their heads to watch the "high and mighty" Hu Haihe driving the reins of the carriage gracefully, with envy flashing in their eyes.
Wherever the four-wheeled carriage passed, the scene was like a superstar appearing in a downtown area in the previous life. The entire Pingxi County City was in an uproar...
…
ps: The tiger returns and starts fighting. The big chapter is presented first, and there will be updates today!
(End of this chapter)