Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 575 The Government, Aristocratic Families, Martial Arts World, Foreign Enemies: The Four Great Mountains of Donghan County
The wooden frame rumbled forward.

The air inside the carriage was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Zhang Yuan tapped the scabbard in his hand with his fingers, and the long sword in the autumn chill seemed to sing a long song within its sheath.

Cao Jiada knelt in front, his nape streaked hair stuck to the collar of his official robe with cold sweat, and his clothes, soaked with mud and water, made his body shiver.

But no matter how cold his body was, it couldn't extinguish the burning passion in his heart.

Whether he wastes his life or seizes the opportunity to rise to the top depends on whether he can gain the appreciation of the Marquis of Qingyang today!

“Magistrate Cao, if the carriage travels another half an hour, we will be leaving the territory of Yushui County.”

Inside the carriage, Young Master Tao's gaze fell on Cao Jiada, and he chuckled, "How long are you going to ride this carriage, Lord Marquis?"

Half an hour.

Cao Jiada looked up at Young Master Tao, his eyes filled with gratitude.

At this moment, Young Master Tao spoke up to remind him that he needed to say something to persuade Marquis Qingyang within half an hour.

Otherwise, he would not be qualified to ride with the Marquis of Qingyang.

For Cao Jiada, a mere county magistrate, this opportunity to sit face-to-face with the Marquis of Qingyang was probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Taking a deep breath, Cao Jiada said loudly, "Lord Marquis, are you aware of the four great mountains that govern Donghan County?"

The carriage was completely silent.

Cao Jiada clenched his left fist, which hung limply inside his sleeve, his nails digging into his palm. He raised his right hand, dipped his fingertips in cold tea, and wrote four names on the sandalwood table:
"Government officials, powerful families, the martial arts world, and foreign enemies."

He looked up, his eyes revealing a resolute expression: "If these four mountains are not moved, Donghan County will never have a peaceful day."

"The four mountains appear separate, but their roots are intertwined like a centipede's legs." Cao Jiada dipped his cold tea into the map, the tea spreading along the nine rivers. "Government officials, like parasites, have hollowed out the dikes; powerful families and wealthy merchants have drained the riverbeds;江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) forces have cut off the tributaries; and foreign enemies, like iron hooves, have pierced the riverbed—"

The crisp sound of Zhang Yuan tapping the scabbard with his finger startled the tea soup, and Cao Jiada paused, unable to speak.

"Go on," Zhang Yuan said calmly, his face as serene as still water, the dragon patterns beneath his black python robe shimmering in the candlelight.

"The private soldiers raised by powerful families eat the grain from the official granaries, and the spies of martial arts sects wear the badges of county constables." Cao Jiada suddenly stood up, his official robe sweeping away a teacup: "The most deadly thing is that these mountains have long since become intelligent! When the Marquis cuts down the chaotic branches of the martial arts world, they sneak into the shadows of the government; when the Marquis cleans up the filth in the officialdom, they hide in the purses of powerful families!"

Inside the carriage, only Cao Jiada's panting could be heard.

He didn't know if the Marquis of Qingyang would listen to what he had said.

Or perhaps I misunderstood; the Marquis of Qingyang's visit to Donghan County was not for the sake of pacifying the region, as I had imagined. In that case, his words would become my death warrant.

Zhang Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, and the vermilion ink at the bottom of the map gleamed with a bloody light.

The profound energy can influence the power of the Heavenly Dao!
Cao Jiada's back tensed instantly. He realized that every word he uttered was being monitored by Qingyang Hou's aura!
If even half of what I just said was false, I would probably be beheaded by now!
"These four mountains in Donghan County," Young Master Tao lifted the carriage curtain with his folding fan, the dark sword light of the Cold Crow Sword Sect flashing past the window, "mayor Cao might as well take a look and see which one the Marquis should move first."

The bet was right!
Cao Jiada clenched his fists, suppressing his joy.

Since Young Master Tao asked him to dissect it, it meant that he had passed the first test set by Marquis Qingyang.

The Marquis of Qingyang's arrival in Donghan County certainly had grand plans.

If Cao Jiada could travel with the Marquis of Qingyang and take advantage of his influence, he might just rise to the top!
"The waters of the martial world are even more turbid than the Xuanwei Temple alchemy furnace that Lord Hou destroyed."

At this moment, Cao Jiada was clearly going all out, revealing all the information he had: "Half of the bandit leaders of the Thirty-Eight Strongholds of Broken Soul Gorge are holding the nominal title of Qi State Guerrilla General, and the massacre of the Snow Cloud Sect is mixed with the fine rain sword marks of Zhao State's Listening Rain Pavilion - the real killers are those accomplices wearing the official robes of the Great Qin."

Outside the car window, the dark banners of the Cold Crow Sword Sect swept past. Chen Jiuyue and his disciples' sword energy, used to wipe out the remaining rebels, was shattering the last wisp of immortal light on the ruins of Xuanwei Temple.

“The powerful families are like ancient banyan trees, their roots spreading into mines and medicinal fields, causing countless sores.” With his eyes fixed on the Autumn Cold Blade in Zhang Yuan’s hand, Cao Jiada spoke quickly, “But if they are uprooted, 30% of the taxes of Donghan County will be lost.”

"This is precisely the source of their confidence to raise private armies and collude with foreign enemies."

Zhang Yuan stroked the scabbard of the Autumn Cold Blade, his expression calm, seemingly devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "As for external enemies..."

Cao Jiada reached out and pressed his hand against the map in front of him, showing the border between the three kingdoms of Wei, Zhao, and Qi. "The border troops' captains who are paid without working are fatter and stronger than the warhorses raised by the bandits in Yunwu Mountain."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Jiada caught a glimpse of Luo Hongxiu's snake-shaped tattoo peeking out from behind the curtain, and a chill ran down his spine to the top of his head.

If Marquis Qingyang were from a family of martial arts heroes, he would probably draw his sword immediately.

It is a major taboo for civil officials to slander military generals.

In border regions, suspicion abounds between civil and military officials. If Cao Jiada's words reach the Qianyang Palace today, the Ministry of War will immediately send someone to imprison him.

But he dared to gamble.

Because Qingyang Marquis is the deputy commander of the Black Ice Platform and the head of the Martial Defense Division of the Zhen Tian Division.

For Marquis Qingyang, the conflict between civil and military officials had nothing to do with him.

Marquis Qingyang is a blade in His Majesty's hand.

Zhang Yuan's deep voice rang out: "Continue."

"In my humble opinion, there are priorities in moving away from the four mountains. Your Excellency should first act decisively and directly enter the prefectural government to take control of the military and political power of Donghan Prefecture, and then proceed gradually." Cao Jiada's voice was much louder and more confident.

"Three years. With your abilities, Lord Marquis, you should be able to sort out the Jianghu and officialdom of Donghan County, reorganize the army, join forces with the aristocratic families, and defeat the external enemies."

Clenching his fist, Cao Jiada's eyes shone brightly: "With ten years of effort, Donghan County can be pacified."

ten years.

This is the time that Cao Jiada envisions for the fastest possible stabilization of Donghan County.

Given the merit of Qingyang Marquis in pacifying Donghan County, he will at least be promoted to the rank of Zhenguo Marquis upon returning to the capital ten years later.

In the hundreds of years of the Qin Dynasty, how many national-level warlords have emerged?
As for Cao Jiada, he will naturally rise to prominence as well.

"Ten years." Young Master Tao chuckled as he unfolded his folding fan and nodded. "Magistrate Cao's plan is quite remarkable."

Cao Jiada's lips curled up slightly as he looked up at Zhang Yuan, who was sitting upright in front of him.

Zhang Yuan tossed a dragon-patterned fish talisman over his hand, which landed in front of Cao Jiada: "Magistrate Cao, you lead a team of Black Riders to garrison Beilu Village and see if the Lu family can truly keep their promise."

Cao Jiada's hand, gripping the fish tally, trembled slightly as he bowed deeply.

"promise!"

As he stepped off the carriage, he turned around and saw Young Master Tao smiling and nodding at him from inside the carriage.

He took a few steps forward, a look of disappointment on his face.

I thought I could go to the prefectural government with the Marquis of Qingyang and put my talents to good use, but I was only assigned a leisurely task of disaster relief in Beilu Village.

The Lu family would never dare to disobey the orders of the Marquis of Qingyang, and there was absolutely no need for anyone to oversee the disaster relief efforts.

This job was really just a way to get rid of him.

It was his own words that his plans and deductions regarding Donghan County were not to the liking of Marquis Qingyang.

He looked towards the distant mountain ridge, where the Xuanjia Guards were burning the alchemical cauldron. The bloodlust rising from the three hundred new soldiers actually condensed into the phantom of a mountain-splitting axe.

The cold wind blew through Cao Jiada's soaked official robes, causing him to shiver and his lips to tremble.

Am I thinking something wrong?
(End of this chapter)