After leaving the Governor's Office and taking the bus for another journey, Yang Qingxiao patted her chest with lingering fear: "Li Lang, I'm really afraid that he will suddenly repent and ask someone to attack us. Then it's too difficult for me to take you out of the Governor's Office."

As long as he remembered Wen Ming's angry look, Yang Qingxiao felt that he would finally let him leave safely, and was very afraid. After all, Li Ling offended him this time. If anyone with a temper was not able to stand such a target.

Li Ling looked at Yang Qingxiao's rare silly appearance, and showed admiration in her eyes, then coughed: "As long as he is rational enough, he will not make such a decision to lose both sides. As the governor of Jiangnan, how could Wen Ming be really angry and confused?"

"Hmm? You mean, that's what you expect?"

Li Ling nodded: "No, otherwise I wouldn't have let him take the left and right back first. If there were other people watching the scene, Wen Ming would definitely not give in for his dignity as a governor. Not to mention my conditions, I'm afraid that once I'm disrespectful, he would order people to be taken. But when there were only three of us in the hall, it would be a completely different situation."

Yang Qingxiao thought for a moment and agreed with Li Ling's statement, because the official power is false, as long as others don't know that Wen Ming was forced to bow his head and admit his mistake by a county magistrate, he can assume that this has never happened.

Li Ling looked at her and continued, "Also, I am different from ordinary county magistrates after all. He knew very well that I came from the capital and had many backers behind me, and he could not make it easy. In addition, I made a great contribution this time and showed my own abilities and value, so he had to bear this tone, bow my head to apologize to me, and agree to those conditions that were not excessive."

Yang Qingxiao was silent again, and then sighed: "You are so obedient to officials. There are so many twists and turns, and it's a blessing that you can figure it out in such a short time. If it were placed in the world, I'm afraid both sides would have fought directly."

"Yes, but compared to the happy battles in the world with grudges and grievances, the secret plots in the officialdom are even more difficult to defend. I am afraid that he would not be happy if he promoted me to the prefect of Yangzhou. My life will be difficult for me." Li Ling said, sighing.

"Then don't agree. Can he force you to be the ruthless prefect of Yangzhou? Don't you have a backer?"

"It's not that easy to refuse. Don't say that I don't have the qualifications. Even if I have it, I can only accept the call for Huating." Li Ling smiled bitterly, "He has already made it clear. If I want Huating to reduce the taxes for the past two years, I have to go to Yangzhou to serve as the prefect, otherwise, no matter whether I am or Huating, the next life will be very sad."

If there is a person from the officialdom who is not very informed, he will immediately scold Li Ling for getting benefits and behave like a good person. After all, the promotion from the magistrate to the magistrate is too great. It is not only the promotion of the rank of the official position, but also the change of identity. From the lower-level officials to the middle level, this is the height that many small officials of the sixth and seventh ranks want for the rest of their lives, but they cannot reach.

However, Yang Qingxiao didn't understand these things, so she looked at Li Ling with a little concern, nodded and said, "Then will you go back to Huating next, or continue here?"

"Let's stay for a few more days, he said that the prefect in Susong area will also come to discuss matters in two days, so I naturally have to participate. But I can go back first and convey the governor's meaning to Huating, so that everyone can feel at ease."

"Then I'll stay here with you!" Yang Qingxiao said, her lips curled up, and she was quite happy, but it made Li Ling a little surprised: "I know I might be in trouble, why are you still so happy?"

"Well... because we go to Yangzhou, we are closer to our Cao Gang headquarters. With us helping you, no matter how much trouble you have, it can be easily solved..." Yang Qingxiao giggled and said happily.

"Yes, why did I forget this..." Li Ling patted his forehead. Yangzhou's errands were indeed hot potatoes, but for him, he might not be afraid, because he had the power of the Cao Gang to use!

As the most important city on the Caohe River, Yangzhou is the headquarters of the Caogang. Although senior officials of the Caogang like Yang Qinghou may not stay there all the time, the Caogang forces there are not comparable to other places, and they can compete with local tyrants and governments.

As a result, he was more confident, and most of his original concerns and worries were dissipated. Now, he just wanted to grasp more inside information and then discuss with his teacher to prepare to take over as the prefect of Yangzhou.

...

A few days later, a slightly chilling autumn rain fell to Jinling City, which officially entered the late autumn season of this Jiangnan city, which also means that Jiangnan has reached the last moment of autumn harvest. Within one or two months, the government should start collecting money, grain and taxes.

At this time, five prefects from Susong and other places rushed to Jinling one after another. They were ordered by the governor to come and obey the arrangements, and naturally, they also included the prefect of Songjiang and the teacher Wei Liang of Li Ling.

As far as Li Ling understood, Jiangnan in Dayue now refers to the free shipping area of ​​Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai in later generations. However, some of the northern Jiangsu was classified into Huainan, but these places alone were large enough, and the population was no less than that in the capital - even if you had just experienced a turmoil.

It is precisely because Jiangnan actually spans two provinces in later generations that Wen Ming, the governor, could not let all the prefects under his jurisdiction follow the instructions at the same time, so he simply separated two batches of notes. First, he was the prefect of Su, which was closer to Jinling, and then he was the official in Zhejiang who was still on the way.

So, after just a few days of the order being conveyed, Wei Liang and others arrived in Jinling. He and Li Ling, the teachers and students, also met again. They were eating and drinking in the Jinling Inn, while talking about the various things they encountered in the previous rebellions.

Even though he knew his students' ability and had experienced many changes, after listening to Li Ling's story, Wei Liang was still stunned for a long time before he came to his senses, and then sighed sincerely: "The changes you have encountered in the past few months are much more dangerous than me. Only Wen Zhong, you have the ability and mind to resolve them one by one. If someone else had changed, he would have died long ago in the thief's calculations."

"Yes, not only the thieves from the Luotian Sect want to deal with me, but even our immediate boss is using me. If it weren't for God's favor, a few brothers would risk their lives to save me, I'm afraid I won't see the teacher this time." Li Ling said with a gloomy expression, "That's not all. Now the governor threw a hot potato into my hands, so that I can only take risks and fight with others." As he said that, he told me that he would be the prefect of Yangzhou and preside over the local taxation.

Wei Liang was really stunned: "Prince of Yangzhou? Do you want to be the magistrate of Yangzhou?" Seeing Li Ling nodding seriously, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wei Liang felt that he was one of the few lucky people in the officialdom of Songjiang in just a few years. But now, compared with Li Ling, his promotion was too slow and too step by step. Look at him, he had just been promoted for a few days after he became an official in the court. He was promoted one after another. Not only did he release him, he also became the prefect of the same level as him, and he was also the prefect of a large city like Yangzhou... You know, his Songjiang Prefecture is a prefecture with a backward number in Jiangnan...

For a moment, a sentence flashed through Wei Liang's mind: People compare themselves with others and people compare themselves with others. It's too far behind students in their official career.

But soon, he calmed down again and frowned and thought of the key point: "Are you saying that the governor asked you to be the prefect of Yangzhou now for taxes? Is it true that he wants to collect heavy taxes on Jiangnan money, grain, and heavy taxes as usual?"

The news in the officialdom was spread faster than expected. In just a few days, the saying that the court and the governor would collect taxes as usual had been spread to all officials.

Li Ling nodded: "This is exactly the purpose of Governor Wen summoning you to come. In fact, it is not only you, but many county magistrates, including me, Huating County Magistrate, have also seen him before, and learned from him what the court meant..."

After listening to Li Ling's brief remarks, Wei Liang's brows became even more tight: "This is a difficult thing to deal with. Now Jiangnan has just experienced rebellious soldiers and floods, and the people are not determined. Once the government really collects taxes and exploits them regardless of their care, there will be endless troubles..."

"Yes, so what the governor is thinking of is to try it in a few counties that are not too severely affected, then the government will be the only one that will expand to the entire Jiangnan area. And my Yangzhou is probably the first to be affected..."

"Isn't Yangzhou the most severely affected by military disasters? Even the city was captured by them... the people in various places were even displaced and their homes were destroyed... He had no worries?"

"Of course there is this, so he wants to attack those rich and powerful gentry."

With Li Ling's remarks, Wei Liang understood the other party's overall plan. In addition to being frightened, he had to admire Governor Wen's courage and courage. Yes, when the people at the bottom were suffering, they could no longer afford to pay for money and food, the government could only turn their minds to local gentry and wealthy accounts.

Compared with the former, the latter suffered much less disasters and losses this time, and they were indeed able to take out the money. However, the reason why the gentry is a gentry is because their status is much higher than that of ordinary people, and it is no less than that of robbing food from them.

This is obviously a very offensive thing, and because of the power of these gentry, it may also affect the future of an official. Perhaps this is Wen Ming's revenge on Li Ling, and he wants to use the knife to kill people and use the power of local gentry in Yangzhou to cut off Li Ling's future.
Chapter completed!