My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 143 Can’t I work in prison?

The river breeze blows gently on your face, and the air is cool.

At the Xianzhu Wharf in the south city, idle people have been cleared out and passenger and cargo ships have stopped docking. The Tongwen governor Li Bailong and all the officials are eagerly waiting. Today is the day when the governor will return.

A few days ago, the Ministry of Works delivered the new Dengwen Drum to Lin County. The prefect took the trouble to go there as quickly as possible to preside over the drum-opening ceremony.

Afterwards, he fully carried forward the spirit of a parent official, searched files and cleaned up corrupt cases in Lin County, personally inquired about the fire incident in the suburbs of Lin County half a month ago, and visited various villages and towns in the county to comfort the elders. He worked hard and was not afraid of hardships, putting the well-being of the people under his rule first.

God protects good people. The prefect's diligence and love for the people enabled him to avoid the huge turmoil in Huazhou officialdom, and he also missed the opportunity to pledge allegiance to the orthodox Beining Dynasty.

Now, after finishing his hard work in Lin County, the prefect returned exhausted.

Li Bailong looked at the river surface and sneered.

When the prefect went to Lin County, he took a car and slowly understood the people's sentiments and listened to their opinions on the road.

But when they returned, they took a boat so that they could return as quickly as possible... This is really intriguing.

He couldn't help but think of the letter King Zhao had sent him a few days ago.

The uncle said at the outset of the letter: "The results came out too quickly! I was right about you. However, this is also the problem. The Minister of Agriculture and I did not expect you to be so capable..."

The reason why King Zhao sent Li Bailong to Huazhou was because he knew how distorted and perverted the cultural environment in Huazhou was, and he also understood the difficulty of Li Bailong's journey.

He knew how to use people and was patient and kind. He originally planned to give Li Bailong three months. As long as the situation improved a little after three months, he would increase investment and give Li Bailong important positions... Unexpectedly, after more than ten days in office, there were signs that the situation had been turned around!
The power of incense and prayers in Huazhou actually stopped the gradual decline that had occurred over the past decade.

The emperor's uncle was both surprised and happy.

The good news is that this kid is really a genius.

What’s surprising is that…because the situation turned around so quickly, many forces that were waiting and watching are getting a little restless.

"When I talked about you in Lin County last month, I only revealed part of the inside story. It wasn't that I was hiding something on purpose. It's just that you hadn't made any progress at that time, so talking about it at that time would only confuse people. Now I'll tell you a few things... There are many people who oppose the revitalization of the Education Department, so you should be prepared now."

"The political game is about to begin. The royal family and Lingyu Sect will protect you from the storm. After all, Huazhou is the ancestral land of the imperial way, and it is difficult for the six major sects to interfere. But if you want to be in charge of the Education Department in the future, you will have to face the criticism of the court. You will have allies and enemies, and sometimes, enemies may become friends."

As a regent, the emperor's uncle has the cautious side of a politician in his character, but his chivalrous side has not completely disappeared. His handwriting shows both excitement and helplessness.

"Let me be frank. Those who clearly do not want the Education Department to succeed include Zhengnian Temple, Cao Gang, and Renxin Hall. This is because they have inherent advantages on this road and do not want latecomers to make up for their shortcomings."

"The one who wants the Education Department to succeed but doesn't want you to succeed is naturally Fenglin Huoshan."

"Xuanyuan Sect is between what is possible and what is not. After all, the Dao Fa Sect is in power now, and they don't care too much about this."

"You have managed to turn the situation around in just a dozen days. You are truly a rare talent. Although I am delighted by this, I cannot help but worry about your future. If you are afraid or hesitant, it is not too late to withdraw now. I have temporarily blocked the news. Even the Lingyu Sect does not know that you have made achievements... You can now calmly retreat to Biyoutian, using the excuse that you cannot accomplish this task, and from now on, you can help them with their military reforms."

"This is your last chance to leave. So far, I have been able to keep my promise and ensure that you can return to Biyoutian safely without being disturbed too much."

"Otherwise, you will have to share life and death with me all the way."

It can be seen that the uncle was very conflicted in writing the latter part of the letter, to the point that he was a little lost.

From the bottom of his heart, he was absolutely unwilling to let Li Bailong, this rare gem, get away.

But another emotion drove him to be honest.

Because looking back on the many important experiences in his life, King Zhao won victory after victory with sincerity rather than deception.

Those who had followed him, those who were following him now, those who had passed away, and those close friends who had achieved success but were still gazing at the same starry sky with him, every soul was urging him to speak from his heart... because they all believed this.

In response, Li Bailong simply wrote back: "I, Director Tongwen Li, will send you the money."

After all, the emperor's uncle didn't know that Li Bailong had already guessed all the truth.

Moreover, it has reaped huge benefits from the traffic popularity promoted by the official.

The popularity of "Legend of Huangji Zhantian" is rising, and its sales are far ahead. The male data workers in the review room are becoming more and more proficient in their work, and they are constantly improving themselves in the fierce battle with their peers in Huazhou.

The power of vows is therefore also greatly increased.

Therefore, resigning is impossible!
In just a few days of selling Huazhou, he had already received almost half of the power earned from the first four volumes in Lin County! He couldn't imagine how much power he would receive in the whole world after he really joined the Bishop's Transformation Department, became the director of the Wenqu General Bureau, and took charge of supervising the affairs of the world!
I will definitely be the director of this general bureau!

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind me: "It's that ship! Lord Fuzun has arrived!"

Li Bailong turned his gaze back to the river, and sure enough, an official ship from the River and Lake Administration was slowly approaching.

According to the second letter sent by the emperor's uncle, a secret struggle had begun in the court. However, the affairs of the court had nothing to do with the "Tongwen Li Bureau". There were two things that Li Bailong needed to pay attention to.

First, Mr. Shi, the prefect of Huazhou, is coming back. He is from the Menggong faction.

King Zhao wrote indignantly, "The traitor wants to compete for merit, and I am arguing with him. He is cunning and greedy, and will surely instigate his minions to quarrel with you and cause trouble. You should guard the gate tightly and don't let him take advantage of you."

Secondly, the Cao Gang has deep roots in Huazhou. Normally, due to ancestral teachings, they will not directly interfere in the local affairs of the imperial territory. However, the matter of educating and cultivating the same culture is of great importance, and they may really end up in trouble.

"The Huazhou Cao Gang is a branch of the Ma family's first branch. The Cao Gang election is approaching, and the three Ma's' fight for Cao is about to happen again. The first, second, and third branches are all looking for allies. So if the first branch attacks you and obstructs this matter, it is possible to win the support of Zhengnian Temple, Renxin Hall, and even Fenglin Huoshan."

"With Lord Yun's scheming and tactics, he will never let go of this opportunity."

"I will try my best to keep Second House Tenggong neutral."

"I will also contact the current leader of the Third House...but the Third House is the weakest, so I can only do my best. You must be prepared to fight with the Big House of the Cao Gang in Huazhou."

"Be careful."

The emperor's uncle added another sentence at the end of the letter.

"I have always been honest with others and never betrayed anyone. But this time, I resorted to some tricks to keep you. Although my heart is clear, I still feel guilty in secret. I will definitely repay you in the future."

Li Bailong felt embarrassed because of his honesty, so he respected his uncle even more.

…but soon fell into self-doubt again.

Does the Emperor's uncle's words "using some tricks" include these words?
As expected of the Great Qi Succubus, her realm is truly unfathomable.

Thinking about the two letters from the emperor's uncle, at this time, the official ship docked.

The officials of the Hebo Division personally lowered the planks and invited out a senior official in a scarlet robe and a golden belt from the cabin. This was the highest administrative official in the city, and the prefect, Lord Shi, strode out.

Li Bailong remembered his uncle's instructions and branded this man as "Meng Gong's hawk dog".

He just smiled sincerely, bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

The officials behind him, from the magistrate Zhang Chun on down, all followed suit and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

The prefect didn't need any help. He jumped over the plank and walked ashore. There was no smile on his face. He just glanced at Li Bailong, flicked his sleeves lightly, and said indifferently: "No need to be polite, everyone. This must be Mr. Li. You are so young, but you are lucky enough to be an official. It's not good to act erratically. Why don't you take the right path?"

All the officials present were shocked.

——Good boy! How come you’re on top right after you got back?

Li Bailong's smile faded, he stood up and looked directly at Lord Shi.

He said calmly: "As a juren, I can do a good job as a fourth-rank official. If I pass the imperial examination and become a jinshi, wouldn't it make some prefects look incompetent?"

Lord Shi sneered, "Did you do your job well? Not necessarily! Don't abuse your power, bully innocent vendors, and humiliate subordinates... This government has the power to control Huazhou, and it has the responsibility to supervise all officials. Lord Li, you must be careful as an official, and don't leave any traces. If you are reported to the Golden Palace, it will not be good."

Li Bailong just shook his head and said, "What a pity."

"What's a pity?"

"It's a pity that when the evil plot of the criminal Gao Bijin was exposed, Your Excellency was not in Huazhou, so he didn't get to see the excitement." Li Bailong said indifferently, "Fortunately, Your Excellency Shi is in Huazhou, so there will be no shortage of excitement."

Lord Shi sneered, "Criminal? The court has not yet reached a conclusion, so Gao Bijin is not a criminal. Lord Li has no say on this matter. Whether Huazhou is as lively as our prefecture is not something you can decide."

Li Bailong just smiled, he took two steps back, bowed and said: "The Tongwen Bureau is busy, I am here to see you today, and I have fulfilled the etiquette of being an official in Tongzhou. Master Shi, I will take my leave now."

If we don't agree on something, we'll just go our separate ways.

Li Ju looked at the judge and the others and asked, "Would you like to come with me, or go back with the prefect to report on your work?"

——Good guy!

Do we have to take sides now?
The officials were groaning in their hearts... Although they had all seen Li Bailong's treasure and had jointly participated in exposing Gao Bijin's meritorious deeds, the prefect's return meant that they had to be both officials and managers, which created a dilemma.

However, as members of the Huazhou leadership team, the Tongpan and the Wuxue Instructor had already received a personal letter from the emperor's uncle, so the question of taking sides was not a problem for them at all.

The two men didn't even exchange glances, but rushed to speak and grab new opportunities to communicate.

At this moment, the prefect shouted, "Wait a minute!"

Li Bailong turned around.

Lord Shi said calmly, "Before I left, I asked Gao Bijin to take charge of the government affairs for me, but now Lord Gao has been detained by Governor Li..."

Li Bailong corrected: "It's just two limits. Please ask him to cooperate with the investigation."

The prefect ignored this excuse of procedural justice: "I heard that after this, Governor Li took over the seals of the co-prefect and prefect, and managed the affairs of the prefecture for this prefecture and Gao. Whether this move is in compliance with the law must be reported to the court for review, so let's leave it for now. As for whether Mr. Li's decisions are reasonable and his motives are selfless when he is acting as prefect and co-prefect, this prefecture will monitor them one by one..."

He extended his hand to invite him: "Therefore, please follow me back to the yamen, Lord Li, to formally return the seal, and report on the handling of government affairs and the use of the seal in recent days, one by one, for supervision and review by this government."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chun couldn't help but look at Li Bailong.

This is just looking for trouble.

When Lord Li was in charge of the two seals, he did issue some strange orders.

As for the daily affairs of the prefect and the associate prefect, although there is no backlog and they have been handled as usual, but considering that Magistrate Li is still very young and not an old hand at officialdom, there may be omissions… The prefect is determined to find fault, and I’m afraid he will be able to find a lot of problems.

He thought for a moment and said directly: "Reporting to the Lord, Lord Li is young and modest, and does not dare to take charge of government affairs, so when he is acting as the printing agent, he often talks with..."

Zhang Chun was about to take the responsibility on himself, claiming that Li Bailong consulted with him when handling daily affairs... In this way, the prefect would be a little more cautious.

Unexpectedly, Li Bailong said, "I often discuss the matter with Gao Bijin."

Lord Shi almost choked: "...Who?"

Director Li replied in a clear and loud voice: "Gao must come in."

The prefect stared in astonishment and asked, "You let this guilty official help you handle official business?"

"Why, can't we work in prison?" Li Bailong said again, "And, Gao Bijin is not a criminal official, that's what the master said himself."

Damn, there is actually such a thing?

The prefect wanted to say that Li Bailong's action violated the rules, but it was hard to say which rule he had broken. After all, Li Bailong advocated "not detention but two limits", claiming that Gao Bijin's official dignity was still preserved. It was natural for him to continue to handle the official duties of the Tongzhi and act as the prefect.

And generally speaking, there is nothing wrong to find!

Because Gao Bijin has such a big blame on his shoulders, he will definitely work wholeheartedly. After all, he dare not bear the crime of "his crimes being exposed, having evil intentions, and disrupting the government."

Damn it, he is so young and holds so much power, why is he so cautious!
Who did you learn this from?

Lord Shi was a little annoyed, and said, "In any case, the power of attorney is now in the hands of Lord Li. You should return to the yamen with me and formally hand over the seal and return the power!"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Chun and the others and said, "I heard that something big happened in Huazhou recently. This is my first time back, so I need to listen to your detailed explanations. Please follow me!"

Li Bailong suppressed the prefect's arrogance twice in a row and just watched and sneered.

So everyone got on their carriages and headed towards the government office.

People talk too much.

Soon, the news that "the Lord returned today and had a disagreement with Governor Li who came to greet him at the dock and parted unhappily" spread like wings and fell into the ears of those who were interested.

Li Bailong sat in the car, and after a while, Zhang Tongpan came in.

"The prefect has come with bad intentions..." He said with a serious face, "I just spoke to him and tried to test him a few times. I saw that he was fearless and must have something to rely on. This old guy usually doesn't get close to us. After all, he is Meng Gong's man and has a bright future. He disdains to hang out with us, the officials with no future..."

Judge Zhang warned carefully: "As soon as he got off the boat, he turned against you. He must have been following the orders of Lord Meng... Lord Meng and King Zhao have always been at odds. You have to be careful."

Li Bailong nodded, thought for a moment, and whispered, "Go tell the teachers and the others that we have an old rule. When we get to the government office, everyone lies down in front of the hall and rushes in at my command..."

Zhang Chun said in horror: "Let him go with Gao Bijin?"

"What are you thinking about!" Li Bailong glared at him, "Let him see the treasure first!"

"What if he doesn't buy it?"

Li Bailong said decisively: "It means he is extremely bold... Think about it, who is not afraid of the revenge of Fenglinhuoshan? Based on my experience in Lin County, those who are not afraid of Fenglinhuoshan are most likely from the Demon Sect."

The carriages arrived at the government office one after another.

Mr. Shi was actually waiting at the door, waiting for Li Bailong to get out of the car, snorted, and waved his hand.

The two of them entered the second hall one after the other.

Li Bailong heard the footsteps of the judge behind him, looked at the back of the Lord of the Palace, followed him into the third hall, and closed the door casually.

Just as he was about to take the treasure out of his clothes, he saw the prefect suddenly turn around.

"Brother!" Lord Shi said sincerely, "There are so many people outside, I'll apologize to you first!"

Fuck... I'm a bit stuck, I have to go back and revise the article, and I've been warned about two more chapters...

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(End of this chapter)