Chapter 122 [He Sui vs. Wen Huai] The little girl is coming back. ...

Chapter 24 [He Sui vs. Wen Huai] The little girl is coming back. ...

A chilly spring breeze brushed against my face, carrying a hint of winter's cold. It crept up my clothes from the back of my neck, making me shiver.

As the new year began, the officials of Duanzhou gathered together to take turns summarizing the past year's affairs. This was a great opportunity to show off in front of the prefect, so each of them spoke eloquently, exaggerating even the smallest things they had done.

A woman in an official robe sat at the top, her eyes lowered so that her expression was obscured, and she did not seem to react much to what the officials were saying.

If someone were observant, they would surely notice that when the topic of striving harder in the coming year came up, the magistrate would slightly raise his head.

Seeing her attitude, the officials were also unsure of her thoughts, but most of them dared not do anything out of line.

Duanzhou is located in a remote area. Even though the imperial court has exempted some taxes, the people of Duanzhou still cannot afford it. Moreover, the former governor was greedy and insatiable, constantly forcing the people to pay taxes. Some people even lost their families because of this. The former governor still pretended to be calm and peaceful, which gradually damaged Duanzhou's reputation and corrupted the atmosphere of officialdom.

Duanzhou, such a troublesome place, was entrusted to Zhuang Wenhuai, who was only fourteen years old, by the Emperor Wei three years ago.

When the officials of Duanzhou heard the name of the new governor, they all began to inquire about who this person was who had earned the emperor's favor so much. It should be noted that Duanzhou had changed governors several times, and in the end, they all begged the emperor to leave Duanzhou.

Duanzhou is really too difficult to manage. Without a strong hand, how can one keep these officials in check and regain the trust of the people?

Upon learning that the new governor was only fourteen years old, the officials of Duanzhou burst into laughter. Did the emperor intend to completely abandon Duanzhou? Why send a little girl to govern? What if she's frightened to tears?

In officialdom, no one cares what rank you got in the imperial examinations; they only care about your abilities and methods. Connections are also an indispensable part of it.

Initially, the officials in Duanzhou did not think that Wen Huai would achieve anything. They just thought that the imperial court was probably too busy to send anyone else, so they temporarily used her as a substitute. After all, such a young girl with no connections would only be bullied if she came.

But if that were really the case, this scene wouldn't have happened today.

Just as the prefect of Nanwen Prefecture was about to speak, Wen Huai spoke up, saying to the middle-aged woman sitting in the first seat below, "Lord Ming, it seems that Duanzhou has enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests this year."

The man named Wen quickly smiled and echoed, "This is all thanks to Lord Zhuang. Since you came to Duanzhou, the lives of the people of Duanzhou have gradually improved."

Aside from words of praise, this Lord Ming dared not utter a single other word, for fear of saying too much and making a mistake.

It should be noted that this newly appointed prefect, despite his young age when he first arrived, was quite capable. He dared to allow merchants to trade freely within Duanzhou, and the commercial tax was reduced by half, requiring only registration with the government.

As a result, many merchants were willing to come to Duanzhou. Merchants from all over the country could be seen everywhere in Duanzhou, and there were even merchants from the Western Regions who came for the tax reduction.

Although the current outcome is good, when it was first proposed, almost all the officials in Duanzhou strongly opposed it. Many people, seeing that she was young, said some frivolous and disrespectful things, which showed that they looked down on her.

For a mere young girl to dare to propose such a bold idea was simply insane to the officials of Duanzhou at the time. If it weren't for the people sent by the Emperor, she probably wouldn't have had a place to stay in Duanzhou.

Wen Huai had no trusted confidants at the time, and he managed to survive on his own.

Those officials who disagreed with her were dealt with swiftly and decisively. In the most serious case, three officials in charge of Duanzhou were dismissed in a single day and expelled from Duanzhou City, never to set foot in Duanzhou again.

The officialdom in Duanzhou was rotten to the core, and the most effective way was to uproot these parasites.

Seeing that this governor was indeed quite capable, and that he held the Emperor's decree in his hand, the officials of Duanzhou had no choice but to obey. In fact, what made most of them obey was the official hat on their heads.

This newly appointed governor dismissed even the officials in charge without batting an eye, let alone his subordinates.

Lord Ming's words did not please Wen Huai. She casually tapped the chair and looked at the head of the Nanwen Prefecture, "Lord Ming said that Duanzhou has favorable weather and abundant harvests. Is the Nanwen Prefecture as you say?"

The prefect of Nanwen Prefecture was a frail young woman. She had prepared a eulogy praising the achievements of the prefect. Although the current prefect was a man of action and seemed to have the intention to reform Duanzhou, no one could tell what path the prefect wanted Duanzhou to take.

Merchants are of lowly birth, but now that the market is open, many people are abandoning their fields to start businesses in order to make a living. This is not a good thing. However, many officials who opposed the opening of the market have been punished.

When the prefectural official met Wen Huai's eyes, she suddenly realized that the woman in front of her, who held great power in Duanzhou, was only seventeen years old, yet she was so mature and experienced. Her eyes were also very clear and calm. She finally mustered up her courage and said, "Your Excellency, Duanzhou is indeed blessed with good weather and abundant harvests, but I believe that Your Excellency's business strategy has some problems."

When Lord Ming saw that she dared to point it out on the spot, he said sternly, "How dare you question my decision? Do you not want to keep your official hat?"

Lord Ming was also implying to her that he didn't want her to lose her official position for nothing.

Wen Huai waved his hand to stop Lord Ming, and finally showed his first smile of the day, "I want to hear your details."

The prefectural official of Nanwen forced himself to speak, saying that Duanzhou should not only focus on commerce but also neglect agriculture, since food is the most important thing for the people and farmland is a major national undertaking.

After listening to her, Wen Huai nodded with considerable appreciation. "What's your name?"

"Your humble servant, Nan Ying."

"Of all the officials in Duanzhou, only you dare to speak the truth before me." Upon hearing this, the officials were so frightened that they knelt on the ground. Even the officials who had just exaggerated were now sweating profusely.

The magistrate is probably going to settle scores with Duanzhou again.

All the major officials of Duanzhou are kneeling here today. Looking at the dense crowd, Wen Huai said in a deep and powerful voice: "I have petitioned the court to exempt Duanzhou from agricultural taxes for the next ten years, and will gradually increase commercial taxes in the future. As long as it is kept at a level lower than that of other prefectures, it will attract merchants to do business in Duanzhou."

"Your Excellency is wise!" Nan Ying was the first to echo Wen Huai, her face showing excitement and joy. It seemed that His Majesty's decision to send this man was absolutely brilliant.

Under his leadership, Duanzhou was revived and will not face any major problems in the next ten years.

Over the past three years, Wen Huai has grown a lot. She has fought her way out of the dark and treacherous officialdom, which has made her no longer an innocent little girl, but a mature and steady person.

Wen Huai helped Lord Ming up. "Lord Ming, I will soon be summoned back to the capital. At that time, Duanzhou will be entirely in your hands."

Lord Ming's eyes widened. "My lord, Duanzhou is just beginning to develop. The specific policies will need to be formulated by you."

"I have already drafted the new agricultural and commercial policies, and they will be implemented after discussion."

Having spent three years in Duanzhou, Wen Huai knew clearly that it was just a stepping stone for her. She had to return to the capital to reach the center of power, and only in the capital could she gain better training than in Duanzhou.

Although Lady Ming inherited some of the habits of her predecessor, such as valuing her official hat above all else, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In order to keep her official hat, she will do many things that are beneficial to the people. In addition, she has the longest tenure in Duanzhou and is the most suitable candidate for the position of prefect.

Wen Huai's mind was made up to leave.

Nan Ying never expected that the governor she admired and respected would leave so soon, and that he had made all the necessary arrangements in advance, relieving Duanzhou of any worries.

After the banquet ended, everyone couldn't help but sigh.

Although the magistrate offended many officials at the beginning, she genuinely cared about the well-being of Duanzhou. If it weren't for her efforts, Duanzhou would probably have already been engulfed in riots due to her corrupt governance.

Nan Ying considered herself to be several years older than the governor, yet she lacked such courage and methods. She could be considered to have successfully retired this time, and upon returning to the capital, she would surely be highly valued by His Majesty.

Only a few people came to see Wen Huai off. The rest did not come because they did not want to, but because Wen Huai had ordered them not to come. No one greeted them when they came, and no one saw them off when they left.

Nan Ying had been holding his words in for a long time, but before leaving, he finally blurted out, "With your talent, you are destined to be a high-ranking official!"

Wen Huai turned around and glanced at her again, then chuckled and said, "Thank you for your kind words."

The original agreement was for two years, but things in Duanzhou were too complicated, so she had to stay an extra year. Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and she was already an adult, but she couldn't be sure if the person in her heart had already married someone else.

If He Sui really gets married, as long as the other person isn't as good as her, she'll just take him back.

Wen Huai embarked on his journey home.

He's parents were eagerly awaiting Wen Huai's return, but they were also worried that in such a poor place as Duanzhou, Wen Huai was still young and might wear her out. The two elders had already regarded Wen Huai as their son-in-law, but they were also worried that if they waited like this, He Sui would get too old and really not be able to get married.

For three whole years, He Sui did not inquire about Huai.

It wasn't that he hadn't tried to find out, but the news seemed to be blocked. He didn't know what official position Wen Huai held after he went there, or what he had been doing in Duanzhou for the past three years.

The story of the Duanzhou business strategy has spread widely among merchants. Even the He family has considered doing business in Duanzhou. He Sui even personally selected a manager some time ago and went to Duanzhou to develop a new business. However, judging from the time, he should have just settled there not long ago.

A servant boy ran over with a letter and said, "Young master, news has come back from Duanzhou!"

He Sui was unusually nervous. He opened the letter and read it. The shopkeeper said that business in Duanzhou was very good, and the government was offering very generous treatment. He was sure to make a fortune this time.

He Sui paused for a moment after reading the last part, "She...is coming back."

The little girl is coming back.