Yuantian Pidao

Chapter 302 Wasting Manpower and Money
The Qingyuan County Prefectural Governor's Mansion had been vacant since the unexpected death of its former governor, Qi Xiuning. However, today, it has once again welcomed its new owner.

"Qi Xiuning has made this place quite elegant."

Walking into the backyard of the prefectural governor's mansion, looking at the flowers, plants and trees that adorned the surroundings, the newly appointed prefectural governor He Zhang's face was full of smiles. He looked to be in his forties, with a plump figure, fair skin, and a very prosperous appearance.

Upon hearing this, the people following behind him all smiled ingratiatingly.

"Constructing water conservancy projects? What were you thinking, such a wasteful and labor-intensive undertaking?"

After briefly strolling around the prefectural governor's mansion, He Zhang returned to Qianyuan and, upon seeing the latest plans for Qingyuan County, suppressed the smile on his face.

Upon seeing the congratulatory letter, the officials in the prefectural governor's office exchanged glances and then silently lowered their heads.

Most of these officials came from cultivation families in Qingyuan County, so they naturally knew the origin of this decree. However, it was precisely because they knew that they had to be even more diligent in implementing this decree. In Qingyuan County today, the imperial court's words were not as effective as those of the Taiping Sect.

It was at this time that Prefect Shao Quan stepped forward. When Qi Xiuning served as Prefect, Shao Quan was merely a figurehead. Although he held the title of Prefect, he did not have much real power. However, after Qi Xiuning's death, the Shao family gained the favor of the Taiping Sect, and Shao Quan truly gained real power, acting as Prefect and taking charge of the administration of Qingyuan Prefecture.

“My lord, you have just taken office and are not very familiar with the situation in Qingyuan County. Qingyuan County has a special geographical environment and was previously hit by floods. It is indeed necessary to build water conservancy projects. This will not only help to curb disasters but also benefit the people.”

"As for the waste of manpower and resources, although this water conservancy project is extremely large, all the major families in the county support it. At that time, many Qi Refining cultivators will be involved, so many troubles will naturally not be troubles."

"Although the process may be arduous, the overall cost is still within an acceptable range, and the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks."

With a resounding voice, Shao Quan expressed his opinion.

With Shao Quan taking the lead, the other officials chimed in, and the prefectural governor's office became extremely lively, as if disagreeing with the water conservancy project meant standing on the opposite side of everyone else.

Upon seeing this, He Zhang's face immediately turned ugly.

Although he had thought that the situation in Qingyuan County might be somewhat bad, he did not expect it to have reached this point. Through He Quan's words, he understood that the major families in Qingyuan County had now truly united and become an ironclad entity, making him, the county governor, a complete outsider.

"My lord, you must be exhausted from your journey. Why don't you take a rest first? These official matters can be dealt with later."

Sensing something was amiss, one of the officers who had accompanied He Zhang spoke up.

Hearing this, He Zhang glanced at everyone again and nodded.

Upon seeing He Zhang's statement, the officials in the prefectural governor's office said no more and left one after another.

"Lord Shao, what do you think this new prefect will do? What should we do if he insists on stopping the water conservancy project?"

As they left the prefectural governor's residence, several powerful officials from Qingyuan Prefecture gathered together.

Upon hearing this, Shao Quan smiled.

"Don't worry, things are different now. The Taiping Sect now governs Qingyuan County. If this new prefect is sensible, then everything will be fine. But if he really insists on going his own way, then I'm afraid his end will not be good."

"You should know that this water conservancy project is not just something that Qingyuan County is going to build, but that four counties in the south are working on together. You should have a guess at the amount of power involved."

"The governor of a prefecture is certainly valuable, but in recent years, more than one governor in the south has fallen from grace."

Shaking his head, Shao Quan strode forward.

Seeing this, the group exchanged glances and followed. Meanwhile, on the other side, the newly appointed prefect He Zhang arrived at the backyard of the prefectural government office once again.

"Your Highness, as you predicted, Qingyuan County has now become an impenetrable entity under the rule of the Taiping Sect."

Upon entering the attic, He Zhang bowed deeply to the figure sitting behind the desk, his attitude extremely respectful, devoid of his previous anger and dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing this, the figure raised her head. At this moment, sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating her figure. With bright eyes and white teeth, a delicate face, and a gentle demeanor, she was none other than the Seventh Princess, Chen Jingshu. This time, she had come to Qingyuan County under the cover of He Zhang.

Although she had been keeping a low profile and not competing for anything in previous years, she had still secretly cultivated a number of trusted confidants. Although these people were few in number, each of them had their own talents.

“Not only Qingyuan County, but probably the entire four southern counties have been integrated. If it was just speculation before, now I am basically certain that the Taiping Sect has a very deep connection with that Dao Foundation Flood Dragon.”

Holding the book in her hand, Chen Jingshu turned her gaze to He Zhang.

Upon hearing this, He Zhang's expression changed slightly.

"Your Highness, do you mean that the Taiping Sect has sided with the demon race?"

With a furrowed brow, He Zhang asked a question.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingshu shook her head.

"Not necessarily. Judging from the way the Taiping Sect acts, they are undoubtedly on the side of the human race. Otherwise, they would not have quelled the demon calamity and killed so many demons. The really strange one is that dragon."

Returning her gaze to the scroll in her hands, Chen Jingshu shared her thoughts, noting that it contained information related to the Taiping Sect.

Although she had not previously established a presence in the four southern counties, she had still managed to gather as much intelligence as possible during this period.

Hearing this and seeing Chen Jingshu like this, He Zhang's brows furrowed even more.

"Your Highness, what should I do next? Should I proceed according to the original plan?"

With a low voice, He Zhang voiced the question that had been bothering him.

"You don't need to do anything for now. We'll talk about everything after I meet with that Taoist priest."

Chen Jingshu put down the book in her hand and stood up.

Upon seeing this, He Zhang was slightly startled, but he did not say anything to stop her, knowing that this was one of the reasons Chen Jingshu came to Qingyuan County.

In the Southern Kingdom, class divisions are rigid, and power and authority are concentrated in the hands of a few major factions. Power shifts occur only among a few families and clans, but unfortunately, these families each have their own stances, and none of them are willing to support Chen Jingshu in the short term.

Under such circumstances, if Chen Jingshu wants to compete, she must obtain additional support. The newly emerging forces in the south are one of her targets, but they are also variables in the game.

"Your Highness, we await your return."

By bowing respectfully, He Zhang made his stance clear.

At this moment, standing by the window and gazing in the direction of the Taiping Sect, Chen Jingshu's eyes flashed with a hint of inquiry. The more she learned about the Taiping Sect, the more curious she became about it.

(End of this chapter)