Now that all the roads have been opened, he doesn't have to take a detour and can go directly north through Zhengnan City back to Fengyang.
Seeing that Qin Wan had sent off the messenger and no longer mentioned going to Fengyang, Qin Bai asked her, "Aren't you worried about Grandfather? Why don't you go together? We can also go back to the capital to see His Majesty and the Crown Prince."
Qin Wan shook her head. "The remaining bandits in Zhengnan Mansion haven't been cleared yet, and everything needs to be rebuilt. Now that I know my grandfather and father are fine, there's no need for me to leave. Besides, now isn't the time for sentimental relationships. Wouldn't it be more reassuring for me to settle things here and then return to the capital?"
Qin Bai looked at Qin Wan, who was becoming more and more like the queen mother, and sighed, "The Great Zhou is lucky to have a Crown Princess like you. But having a wife like you who prioritizes career is a real headache."
Qin Wan glanced at him sideways, half-smiling, and said, "Brother, are you saying that it's a woman's misfortune when a man is away fighting and can't even think of returning home, prioritizing state affairs?"
???
!!!
This is a life-threatening question!
Qin Bai quickly shook his head and waved his hand: "That's not what I meant, don't talk nonsense!"
All the women in the Qin family are very capable. Although they are not officials, many of them are capable of being female generals. If the women in the family hear this, even his mother will not forgive him.
Qin Bai quickly changed the subject: "The people sent by the court will probably arrive tonight. You should pack up and return to the capital early tomorrow morning. The prince will probably miss you too."
Qin Wan still had many things to worry about, but she also missed home after being away for so long.
Moreover, since the new prefect can come...
Qin Wan suddenly became eager to go home.
He immediately ordered people to pack up things, and called all the people in the prefectural government office to come, giving them instructions one by one and asking them to hand over the things.
Important things should be left to the new prefect to deal with. Some of these things need to be handled by her personally, and some can be handled by others on her behalf.
What are the progress and arrangements of affairs in various places?
Every detail is very trivial.
Since Qin Wan was going back to the capital, the commander-in-chief of the Left Army who followed and protected her naturally had to go with her. He also had to pack up his things quickly and transfer Lu Yan and other rebel generals to the prison car and imprison them so that they could set off at any time.
Before evening, the officials sent arrived. They were old acquaintances, the former Censor-in-Chief Chen and his wife.
Qin Wan took Madam Chen's hand and said happily, "Why are you here?"
Mrs. Chen couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth: "Meet the Crown Princess."
Her eyes curved with laughter. "There's no one available in the court right now. Although the position of Censor is important, compared to local officials, it can still be left vacant temporarily. So, isn't it? They transferred someone here, demoted him from third rank to fourth rank, and to compensate him, His Majesty even gave him the title of Zhongfeng Dafu, a second rank."
Zhongfeng Daifu was a nominal position, just like the various generals of the military rank. For example, the General of the Cavalry was a rank without real power. The real power still belonged to the official position in the court.
However, not everyone can be awarded such an honorary position.
For example, Lu Yan guarded the border for eight years but was not even given the rank of general.
Qin Wan understood the emperor's meaning after a moment's thought. She looked at Lord Chen and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Lord Chen. I hope you will rise to great heights in the future."
Historically, when it comes to promotions, going from the third rank to the fourth rank is a hurdle, and going from the third rank to the second rank is another hurdle.
How many officials appointed by the imperial court have wasted their entire lives in the third and fourth ranks without making any progress.
Lord Chen is neither old nor young. If he wants to move up in the position of Chief Censor, it depends on opportunity.
But now that he has come out and jumped out of the circle of censors, he doesn't have to wait for his superiors to move away. He has too many choices and opportunities to play.
Let me put it this way, although the prefect is only a fourth-rank official, one rank lower than the third-rank Censor-in-Chief, and it seems that he has been demoted, Lord Chen is now an emergency. In addition, if he makes achievements and performs well in Zhengnan Prefecture, he may be promoted to a second-rank official when he returns to Beijing within a few years.
Another thing is that the censors supervised all officials, but all the work they did was offensive. Although the prefect was only a fourth-rank official and seemed to have been demoted, being an official in the local area was simpler than being an official in the capital. What's more, the prefect had the final say within the prefecture.
To put it bluntly, the Fourth Prince's rebellion was a blessing in disguise for Lord Chen.
Lord Chen naturally knew the intricacies of this. When he was appointed prefect, His Majesty specially conferred him the title of Zhongfeng Doctor, a second-rank official. This was the Emperor's hint. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Crown Princess, for your kind words."
Since it was an old acquaintance who came, Qin Wan couldn't help but feel homesick. She smiled and said, "Since Lord Chen is here, I feel relieved. I will leave Zhengnan Mansion to Lord Chen."
Qin Wan handed the organized files to Master Chen. "The top volume summarizes the important events, and the bottom volume summarizes the minor events. The responsibilities are clearly stated. These are the important matters in Dujiang Prefecture, Huzhou Prefecture, Jianning, Jining, and other places..."
"I've already written to them and told them that if they're undecided, they can write to you. You were once the Chief Censor, so you're better at controlling some things than they are. The court will send prefects to these prefectures, and that will put things at ease for you. But before that, you can also observe them."
"After all, the court is short of manpower right now. I'm afraid no one will be able to come for a while. If these people are suitable, you can submit a memorial to the emperor and ask him to keep them in office. If they are not suitable, you can continue to replace them, or you can ask the emperor to send someone as soon as possible."
Lord Chen looked at the thick file and listened to Qin Wan's words. He was stunned. He felt that the file in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds. "Princess Consort, I am only the prefect of Zhengnan Prefecture. And I just arrived in Zhengnan Prefecture. When did you send the letter to them?"
Qin Wan waved her hand and said, "It doesn't matter when it's delivered. What's important is that they will receive the letter. Sir Chen, the emperor trusts you, and I trust you too. These prefectures are handed over to you."
After that, she looked at Madam Chen again and said, "It's getting late. I have to leave now. We can meet again when we have the chance."
While Lord Chen was looking at someone with a knife in his eyes and had an indescribable look on his face, Qin Wan slipped away as fast as she could.
Madam Chen looked at the suddenly empty doorway and couldn't help but focus her gaze on Qin Bai: "Master Qin, is this... is this appropriate for the Crown Princess?"
Qin Bai said with a smile: "Since the Crown Princess has said so, there is nothing inappropriate. You can rest assured. Those who are capable will do more work. I also have things to do, so I will leave first."
Qin Bai would naturally be happy to let go if someone took over these messes. The bandits everywhere were waiting for him to wipe them out, so why bother wasting time here dealing with government affairs?
Madam Chen looked at Qin Bai's back as he rode away, opened her mouth, and said, "That's not what I meant... Husband, this..."
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