"This is because the Cao family insisted on sticking to the old rules. I have given them enough time to change the head of the family."

Who knew they were so conservative, insisting on clinging to Cao Qiang? Wouldn't it have been better to just replace him with Cao Changgeng?

Di Yingxue chuckled, "Chief, how many people are like you, daring to break with old customs and traditions? The Cao family thought that since they paid so much in fines and you didn't intend to touch their patriarch, they certainly wouldn't think too much about it."

"If you don't break it yourself, I'll break it for you. There's a saying that an egg broken from the inside is a new life, while an egg broken from the outside is food. If you don't reform yourself, you'll become someone else's food sooner or later."

Di Yingxue was full of admiration. "What the leader said makes so much sense. Yingxue will remember it."

Shenxi laughed heartily, "Yingxue, stop flattering me. You should reveal to the Cao family what Cao Qiang did and the punishment he was sentenced to, and let them take action themselves."

"yes."

This is already the best option that Chenxi has given the Cao family. If the Cao family still insists on recognizing Cao Qiang as the head of the family, then they can expect to be ridiculed and suffer business losses!

However, the Cao family was not stupid. On the very first day after receiving the information, they discussed and devised a strategy, and announced to the public that the Cao family had a new head of the family.

The current head of the family, Cao Changgeng, personally visited Shenxi and also paid a visit to other prominent families.

A few days later, Shenxi ordered the announcement of some people who had been punished during this period, including the former head of the Cao family, Cao Qiang.

In an instant, those who had initially been puzzled by the Cao family's rapid change of head of household suddenly understood.

Cao Qiang is no longer the head of the Cao family. He was only punished as a young master of the Cao family. Although it doesn't sound good, it's still much better than the head of the family being punished.

Furthermore, Cao Qiang is no longer the head of the family, so the business will not be greatly affected.

Besides, which of these aristocratic families doesn't have a few sons who have been punished? No one should laugh at anyone else.

However, through this incident, these aristocratic families realized one thing: the Cao family had known about this matter in advance, which meant that the Cao family must have a very good relationship with the leader.

Therefore, all the prominent families took the Cao family as their benchmark. Later, seeing that the Cao family had hired a large number of workers, they also hired quite a few themselves.

Seeing that the Cao family had bought land and built houses in the north of the city and settled their people there to work, other prominent families followed suit, and soon every household in the city had someone to work for them.

Their lives have improved considerably.

Furthermore, the weather is getting warmer and warmer; it is no longer the dead of winter. Everything is reviving, and people's spirits have improved considerably.

By the time Zhao Xun returned after settling all the criminals, spring was already halfway over.

When Zhao Xun was sent to Linchuan County, Shen Xi thought it would take him at least six months to bring Linchuan County under control.

Who knew that Zhao Xun would complete the reorganization of Linchuan County in just over two months, and the rest was just a matter of following the rules he had set.

Upon seeing this, Shenxi realized that Zhao Xun was indeed a great talent. She instructed Qi Xiuwen to send someone else to replace Zhao Xun in his work, and then had Zhao Xun come to her place.

Jianming Prefecture needs many people to govern it well, and Shenxi will certainly make good use of talents like Zhao Xun.

Seeing that Zhao Xun had finished dealing with the prisoners, he directly appointed him as the prefect of Jianming Prefecture, which Shen Xi called the governor, and changed Jianming Prefecture to Jianming Province.

Zhao Xun's abilities are more than sufficient to be the governor of a province.

Zhao Xun did not refuse and readily agreed.

Since the leader trusts him, he naturally has to do it seriously.

Zhao Xun said, "Commander, could you transfer Hao Dasheng to me? I find him easy to use."

"Sure, if you want to transfer people in the future, you can just let Xiuwen know and have him handle the paperwork for you."

"yes."

Everyone should do their own job; Chenxi doesn't want to do everything herself.

She was worked to death in her past life, and she doesn't want to be worked to death again in this life.

As for who Qi Xiuwen appoints to be the dispatcher, that's Qi Xiuwen's business.

Qi Xiuwen has managed Bian'ai County perfectly and has also rectified Xiahe County.

Qi Xiuwu originally thought that he could clear Shanghe County in two months, but who knew that the bandits were so rampant and difficult to deal with that they could not be completely eliminated in a short time.

It wasn't until spring arrived and the flowers bloomed that the bandits were finally wiped out, but then they clashed with reinforcements sent back by Yu Dakai, the prefect of Yuzhang Prefecture.

They're still fighting there, unable to break free.

Qi Xiuwen has once again sent troops to Shanghe County to assist Qi Xiuwu, and has also sent people to Shanghe County to carry out rectification and governance.

Yu Dakai's main force was still tied up in the capital and unable to return. The men he sent back joined forces with the troops from the prefectural city and the surrounding counties to wage a protracted war against Qi Xiuwu.

Qi Xiuwu sent a document saying that he was incompetent and unable to stabilize Shanghe County, and could only prepare for a protracted war with the other side.

Shenxi was not surprised when he saw the document. Yu Dakai had been lingering in Yuzhang Prefecture for many years, so how could he let Shenxi occupy the area under his jurisdiction so easily?

Originally, these soldiers came to suppress bandits, but after the bandits were defeated by Qi Xiuwu, they started fighting with Qi Xiuwu.

Shenxi replied to Qi Xiuwu, telling him to just keep things stable and not to expand southward any further; simply stabilizing Shanghe County was enough.

The troops of Yu Dakai, the prefect of Yuzhang Prefecture, have been surrounded by the Crown Prince's men, so he is unlikely to be able to attend to this matter.

Whether Yu Dakai can come back is still unknown, so Qi Xiuwu doesn't need to worry.

Qi Xiuwu was finally relieved and focused on building and protecting Shanghe County.

When the reinforcements saw that they still hadn't been able to capture Shanghe County after two months and had suffered heavy losses, the reinforcements to the other counties couldn't take it anymore and withdrew first.

The reinforcements sent back by Yu Dakai were isolated and unable to achieve their goals, so they had to retreat to the prefectural city and await further orders.

Qi Xiuwu's pressure was relieved at once. He sent a message asking if he could leave someone behind, and then he would come back and attack other counties in Jianming Province with Zhao Rong.

Shenxi nodded in agreement, instructing Qi Xiuwu to leave reliable people behind to guard Shanghe County, and then lead his guards to Jianming Prefecture.

Zhao Rong is now attacking each county in Jianming Province one by one. Although the Wu family of Jianming is gone, there are still many people from the Wu family in each county, or people who have intricate connections with the Wu family.

They either fled or resisted.

In other places, the local officials were loyal to the imperial court and regarded the troops in Shenxi as rebels, so they resisted to the death.

Although Shenxi admired such a loyal and capable general, as an opponent, it was a matter of life and death.

The cruelty of war does not only apply to ordinary people, but also to aristocratic families and officials.

Your loyalty is seen as an enemy by the other party.

When Qi Xiuwu arrived, Zhao Rong had already conquered half of the counties and cities in Jianming Province.

The most difficult task now is for Shen Qing to go and assist in the attack on Yuhe County.

The city walls of Yuhe County were sturdy and tall, and they even used modern siege ladders, but the enemy's defense was simply too weak.

The archers were all inside the battlements, which were protected from above. They only needed to fire arrows through the gaps left on the battlements.