Chapter 198 Asking for Help

Hu Wei's skinny body seemed to possess immense power, and his eyes lit up. "Perhaps you all don't know this? The grain she was transporting was intercepted from the imperial court to the front lines of Qianzhou! Just tell the people that the grain they ate during the winter was seized from the imperial court, and now Qianzhou wants it back, or they'll march at the gates. They'll definitely rise up in resistance!"

Xu Yinxi was shocked.

The others also looked shocked.

The food shortage crisis in Lan County in March was still fresh in their minds, and they didn't know where Xu Zhenying got the food from, but they didn't expect that Xu Zhenying would dare to rob the government at that time!

That's right. If Xu Zhenying had asked everyone to rob government grain at that time, who would agree? Who would dare to take the lead?

Could it be that at that time, Xu Zhenying already had the ambition to dominate the world?

Hu Wei saw that everyone was surprised and thought that these kids were still a little naive. Xu Zhenying dared to go against the government at that time, which showed that she had never taken the government seriously from the beginning to the end.

Such a rebellious person is destined to achieve success and do great things!

But Xu Yinxi had already thought further. Considering that Xu Zhenying had ignored the resolute opposition of Miao and Xu Degui and insisted on distributing food, not even leaving out the remote countryside, could it be that she had already decided to tie everyone on her pirate ship at that time?

Anyone who eats the food is the enemy of the court and will have to stand on the same side with her in the future.

Thinking of this, Xu Yinxi's scalp suddenly went numb!

Such a huge layout, such a seemingly well-intentioned to the point of absurdity, instantly crushed the hearts of the people of Lan County.

Such careful planning and strategizing made Xu Yinxi feel a chill down her spine!

She subconsciously raised her eyes to look at everyone, but saw that no one reacted. Even Hu Wei seemed unaware of Xu Zhenying's plan!

This sixth sister... is so smart, almost like a demon... and has such a terrifying mind.

No matter how much Xu Yinxi claimed to know Xu Zhenying, the more she understood, the more horrified she felt.

This is really a step-by-step plan -

I just don’t know how she plans to end this fixed tax issue?

Xu Yinxi had a hunch that Xu Zhenying was a man of his word, and there was probably no such thing as compromise in her world.

A huge storm is brewing, but those who are in the middle of it can only see a vague corner of it.

Seeing no one was saying anything, Hu Wei stroked his beard with a smile. "Of course, this is just my opinion. The specifics of what to do will depend on the City Lord's wishes. However, from my observation, there's no need to worry. The City Lord's wisdom surpasses ours. Perhaps all of this was intentional. Instead of speculating about her intentions behind her back, why not tell her directly that you are aware of her ambition to dominate the world?"

Xu Yinxi's face turned cold. "Secretary Hu, don't worry about this. Secretary Hu just needs to do the job at hand. You must know that being too clever can backfire. The more you know, the faster you die."

"Xu County Magistrate, I appreciate your advice." Hu Wei offered sincere compliments, as if he were not facing a young woman but a real colleague. "In that case, do you still want my head?"

Ming Xiaoshuang and Liu Dazhuang looked at Xu Yinxi with tense expressions.

It seemed that as long as Xu Yinxi gave the order, Hu Wei would be killed on the spot.

Xu Yinxi waved her hand, "No need, your head is kept, and the city lord will take it whenever he wants."

Hu Wei smiled and said, "In that case, I will take my leave first. If you have any other ideas, I will also make my bed open for you."

Ming Xiaoshuang gently opened the door, stared at Hu Wei intently, and said quietly, "Hu, don't play any tricks. The City Lord trusts you, but I don't. I'm warning you, the City Lord is not Li Datou. If you dare to have even the slightest thought of betrayal, don't blame me for being merciless!"

Hu Wei still smiled and bowed: "You are right. My loyalty to the city lord is evident to all. I will never betray my master for personal gain!"

"Okay, remember what you said today and get out!"

After Hu Wei left, the room fell into a brief silence.

Seeing that everyone was frowning, Fang Ningmo asked, "Do you think what Hu Wei said is credible?"

"Of course not." Xu Yinxi was quite clear-headed. "Back when we were in Ye County, Hu Wei was eloquent and eloquent, without a trace of scholarly integrity. He even tricked Li Datou into death! He's a person who only tells the truth in ten sentences. We have to be on our guard."

"What do you think he wants to do?"

"Heh." Xu Yinxi sneered, "I just hope the world won't be in chaos."

Fang Xun also agreed, "This man boasts of his extraordinary talent, but he has never passed the imperial examination. He feels that his talent is not appreciated, so he is obsessed with rebellion."

Ming Xiaoshuang looked at everyone, "But his reminder is not without reason. Should we tell the city lord that we already know about her rebellion? That way, the city lord will no longer be isolated and helpless, and it will be easier for us to do things."

Xu Yinxi pondered for a moment and made a decision, "Let's take it slow. I have a feeling...something big might happen soon. We can only wait and see."

Xu Yinxi finally returned to Lan County. She left Xu Huijia in Ye County and came back to attend a meeting. But when she returned to Lan County, she was busy with work here and there, and it was almost dark when she finished.

Xu Yinxi took advantage of the night to return to the second house of the Xu family.

Lian had changed a lot. She was no longer wearing the gorgeous clothes she used to wear. She was dressed very simply. Although the mother and daughter had just met at the meeting in the morning, it was not convenient for them to talk. Only when they returned home did they have time to chat about family matters.

Lian looked at Xu Yinxi in surprise.

She had long hair when she left in the morning, but how come her hair was only shoulder-length when she came back in the evening?

Xu Yinxi casually tied up her hair on top and left the lower half loose. This was a popular hairstyle in the city. Xu Zhenying was the first to take the lead in doing this, and it was later spread to the army unknowingly.

Nowadays, many men and women in Lan County only keep their hair short. At first, Lian was not used to it, but after a while, she realized the beauty of it.

Apart from other things, the fact that he can work efficiently is much more convenient than having long hair.

Not to mention that summer is here, and short hair is easy to wash and dry, which saves a lot of time.

Although Lian was tempted, she didn't dare to follow those little girls in twisting their hair. So when she saw Xu Yinxi twisting her hair, she felt a little envious and a little worried. After all, Xu Zhenying was the only one in the Xu family who dared to wear this hairstyle.

"Your hair..." Lian reached out and ruffled Xu Yinxi's short hair. She wanted to say something, but swallowed it back and smiled instead, "It's good. You look very energetic."

Xu Yinxi smiled and said, "Mom, short hair is very convenient and it doesn't get lice. I've been busy in Ye County and really don't have much time to take care of my hair."

"That's good, but I'm afraid he'll get stern and start lecturing us again."

"Are you talking about Dad?" Xu Yinxi's smile remained unchanged. "Ever since coming to Lan County, he's become less sociable and his temper has become increasingly erratic. It's okay, I'll just pretend I didn't hear what he said. Mom, where's my room? Is it still there?"

Lian held her hand affectionately and said, "I'll keep it for you. You finally come back once, so you have to stay a few more days this time!"

"That's impossible. I'm afraid my cousin in Ye County won't be able to hold on any longer."

Just after he finished saying this, several people from the Xu family heard the noise and came out. When they saw Xu Yinxi, they all greeted her with smiles. The young people from the second branch even kept their eyes on Xu Yinxi's hair, and looked at Xu Deyuan's expression from time to time.

It's over. Daddy hates this kind of perverse thing the most. A few days ago, Xu Minglu was scolded by Daddy for half an hour just because she mentioned that it was convenient to cut her hair. Now, my eldest sister is so different. She cut my hair without even saying anything.

The little ones shrank their heads and thought to themselves: This might cause another bloody storm.

It's strange.

Xu Deyuan stood on the steps and looked Xu Yinxi up and down, his expression hard to tell whether it was blame or approval.

He had a dull expression and was indifferent to Xu Yinxi's greetings, which made people confused.

Xu Deyuan said sternly, "Now that you're back, get a good night's rest."

"Thank you for your concern, Dad."

The two of them asked and answered each other, and Xu Yinxi was smiling the whole time, and there was no fault to be found.

The only weird thing is that the meeting between the two people does not look like that of father and daughter, but rather like colleagues who are not very familiar with each other in the officialdom.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward, but Huang Cui'e was concerned about her son. She wanted to pull Xu Yinxi back to her room right now and ask her everything clearly. "Fourth girl, are things going well in Ye County? Where's your eldest cousin? What is he doing over there? Why didn't you bring him with you this time?"

Xu Yinxi was very patient with Huang Cui'e and said slowly, "Don't worry, Auntie, my cousin is doing fine. Since arriving in Ye County, he's become a completely different person. He leads people in training every day, rain or shine, and has been studying with his teacher. He's now in the intermediate class. But there are so many things to do in Ye County, and we need someone to stay with us. So one of us must stay with him."

"Ah, the city lord is really something. Huijia is the eldest grandson of the Xu family, and he holds the position of village chief of Fanshi Village. Now that Ming Xiaoshuang is gone, I won't say anything about Wang Xingye. He was the one who brought the refugees here, and they listen to him. But where did that Wang Sanniang come from? How old is she, and she's already the county magistrate? Why didn't the city lord let my Huijia take the position, but instead sent Huijia to Ye County..."

"Aunt, Ye County is in great need of development, so it's easy to make progress. The city lord is being very considerate of my cousin."

"Hui Jia eats and sleeps well. Have you seen any suitable girls?" Huang Cui'e held Xu Yinxi's hand and refused to let go. "Your eldest cousin is almost eighteen, and that country boy already has a father!"

Seeing Xu Yinxi's embarrassed expression, Concubine Chun from the second room quickly said with a smile: "Madam, the fourth young lady just came back, please let her rest. She hasn't gone to pay her respects to the old lady yet!"

Xu Minglu also immediately took the initiative. At Aunt Chun's signal, she enthusiastically took Xu Yinxi's arm and said, "That's right. Grandmother has been talking about my elder sister. I will accompany my elder sister to pay her respects to Grandmother."

Huang Cui'e finally let go of her hand in frustration. Seeing that Xu Yinxi was indeed exhausted, she said somewhat unwillingly, "That's right. Your grandmother has been talking about you, saying that you are the first person in the Xu family to become a county magistrate. You are amazing. When she heard that you were coming back to stay today, she cleaned up your room early and has been waiting until now. Go and pay your respects to your grandmother."

It was deep night and thousands of houses in Lan County were ablaze with lights.

Even though they were in the inner courtyard, they could see the light outside and hear the noise outside.

Lan County is becoming more and more lively. Even though it is late, there are still many people on the road.

Those doing business at night, whether they are selling wontons, snacks, or the recently popular fried skewers, all showed up.

Especially after work at six o'clock, the people of Lan County would have a simple dinner and then flock out for a stroll. Along the riverbank, under the willow trees, and along the embankment, men and women, young and old, accompanied by the elderly and children, the scene was full of vitality.

Therefore, it was very hard for the Xu family members who lived in the center of the city.

It's noisy.

The noise will last until eleven or twelve o'clock at night.

They even wanted Xu Zhenying to re-impose a curfew to avoid the noise of heavy traffic late at night.

Just like at this moment, Xu Yinxi was in the inner courtyard, but she could hear the sounds outside clearly. The sound was like music, coming from not far away, but it sounded leisurely and comfortable to her ears.

This is the golden age.

In this peaceful and prosperous era, Xu Yinxi has contributed to it. This is such a blessing.

I wonder when Ye County will be as prosperous as Lan County?

Xu Yinxi looked at Xu Minglu and Aunt Chun who were following behind her, and pursed her lower lip. After enjoying the warm night breeze, she also had some leisure time, so she said: "Aunt Chun, if you have anything to say, you can tell me directly. As long as it is within my ability, I will never hesitate."

Aunt Chun didn't expect Xu Yinxi to be so straightforward. Instead, Xu Minglu hesitated when she heard that. Aunt Chun pushed Xu Minglu forward. Before Xu Minglu could speak, the tips of his ears turned red.

"Sister." She screamed in a voice as soft as a mosquito, as if a knife was on her neck.

Xu Yinxi naturally knew that Aunt Chun and the other two had something to ask of her.

If it were in the past, she would certainly not like Xu Minglu's behavior of following Xu Lezhi all day long, and she disliked Xu Minglu's sarcasm even more, but after all, they were connected by blood, not to mention that she was now in a higher position. Looking back, she felt that the quarrels and fights between the sisters at that time were also precious.

Xu Yinxi deliberately suppressed her pressure and showed a friendly smile on her face, "Sister, is there something wrong?"

Xu Minglu hesitated for a long time and refused to speak. Aunt Chun pinched Xu Minglu secretly, feeling quite disappointed with her. Then she said with a red face: "Sister, I have graduated from the intermediate class now, but the city lord has not assigned me any work yet. I was thinking... You started as the city lord's secretary before, can you talk to the city lord..."

Xu Yinxi raised her eyebrows, "You want to be the city lord's secretary?"

"No, no, no." Xu Minglu seemed a little afraid of Xu Zhenying and waved her hands quickly. "I can't be her secretary. I want to be Big Sister's secretary."