After nearly a day, the carriage gradually entered the territory of Qihuai County at dusk.

Along the way, Wang Tianze witnessed the harsh conditions in remote rural areas. The muddy, broken, and difficult-to-traverse roads alone caused him considerable suffering.

The road kept bumping and jolting, making people dizzy.

Even though Wang Tianze had suffered quite a bit in his youth, he still couldn't take it anymore.

He lifted the curtain at the front of the carriage and looked at Xiao Gao, who was driving with a stern face.

"Was Qihuai County always like this?"

Hearing is never as good as seeing it with your own eyes, and Wang Tianze now finds it hard to imagine what kind of environment his trusted confidant lived in back then.

Xiao Gao said with a sullen face, "Yes, it was even worse before. Back then, when we needed to travel, we didn't even have a carriage and could only walk to the neighboring counties."

After saying that, Xiao Gao sighed helplessly.

Wang Tianze didn't know what to say, so he casually asked, "We should be there soon, right?"

Xiao Gao turned around and smiled. "Master, it's still early. I remember there's a huge wasteland ahead. We have to wait until we pass that wasteland before we can enter the city. It will take at least an hour."

Wang Tianze remained silent and quietly returned to his carriage.

The Minister of Revenue closed his eyes to rest, but unfortunately, the bumpy carriage made it difficult for him to concentrate.

Just then, the carriage suddenly braked and came to a stop.

Wang Tianze was jolted awake and, before he could ask anything, he heard Xiao Gao, who was driving, exclaim in surprise.

"Where...where is this?"

Wang Tianze was confused. Wasn't it said that there was still an hour to go to Qihuai County? Less than an incense stick's time had passed.

He peeked out again, and what he saw left him speechless, giving him the same expression as Xiao Gao, who was driving.

Before them stood a towering city wall stretching to an unknown distance, comparable in grandeur to the imperial city.

Not to mention the other counties we've seen along the way, they're worlds apart.

"How could such a place be hidden in this remote and impoverished area? Could it have been secretly established by the empire?"

Wang Tianze's mood became extremely heavy. If that were the case, then Daqing would be in danger.

Xiao Gao turned his head and looked over; his expression was still somewhat dazed.

"Sir, this is Qihuai County. I see the big characters written at the city gate... but this place is completely different from what I remember..."

Back then, the city walls of Qihuai County were nothing more than dilapidated little mud walls, with drafts everywhere.

But after ten years, it has become a fortress?

Judging from the continuous city walls, Qihuai County now covers a considerable area, perhaps comparable to a prefecture.

Is this still a small county town?

Wang Tianze remained silent.

After receiving the order from His Majesty, he investigated the situation in Qihuai County in advance and learned that it was a small county with less than two thousand people and very little tax revenue each year.

This matches Xiao Gao's impression of the situation.

But all of this has shattered Wang Tianze and Xiao Gao's expectations.

Xiao Gao continued driving forward, somewhat incredulous.

Although Xiao Gao had considered before coming here that he hadn't been home for ten years, he would see many unexpected situations when he suddenly returned, and it was even possible that Qihuai County had disappeared.

But Qihuai County underwent a dramatic transformation, something he never expected.

I returned home, but my hometown was gone.

More accurately, it became a completely unfamiliar place.

When the carriage arrived at the city gate, the first thing that surprised them was the clean and flat ground under their feet. Wang Tianze felt slightly disoriented as he stepped on it.

Even their own courtyards weren't paved with so many stone slabs, yet the area outside the gates of Qihuai County was so lavishly decorated...

Wang Tianze's feelings became extremely complicated.

He said, "Let's go in and take a look."

Wang Tianze walked in front, with Xiao Gao pulling the carriage behind him.

The two arrived at the city gate and saw a young man leaning against the city wall, his face obscured by a straw hat, making it impossible to discern his features.

He was wearing ordinary clothes, nothing special.

Xiao Gao looked at the other person, his hands trembling slightly.

These clothes are not considered luxurious, but compared to the tattered clothes of yesteryear, they are quite rare.

You have to understand that back then, apart from the county magistrate and the officials in the government office, who else had enough warm clothing to wear?

Wang Tianze glanced at the man briefly before stepping inside.

The next moment, a hand suddenly appeared in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Wang Tianze narrowed his eyes and looked at the man who suddenly took off his straw hat.

Judging from his appearance, the other person was quite young, only about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a rather ordinary appearance and a noticeable scar on his forehead.

"Money? Of course you have to pay the city entry tax if you want to enter the city. Is this your first time in Qihuai County?" The man glanced at the two of them with disdain.

"Entry tax?" Wang Tianze had heard of entry tax, but it was a tax levied only when transporting large quantities of goods. However, he was not carrying any goods at the moment.

The man didn't bother to explain and simply said, "These are the rules set by Lord Tang. If you don't pay, then you can go back to where you came from."

After saying that, he put the straw hat back on his head.

Wang Tianze fell silent again.

Xiao Gao then turned his gaze to the man. He felt that the man was somewhat familiar, especially his appearance and his carefree personality.

It's just been so long since we last met that I honestly can't quite remember.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!