Chapter 3211 Almost (Update)
The capital is some distance away from Qingzhou, so the news received is slower and there may be some omissions.
Most officials in Qingzhou first saw the news of Wei Zhi's death in the official gazette, and then learned the detailed information through relatives and friends in the capital.
Therefore, due to the delay in information, by the time Governor Guo learned that the local medical department had been upgraded, with Qingzhou as the first case, it was already half a month after the dust settled.
He learned about it from the official documents sent from the capital.
Also coming along were official documents regarding the collection and promotion of new rice seeds.
Governor Guo had just recently submitted a letter to the court informing them of the new rice seeds. After all this time, they are promoting it across the board without even verifying it?
Governor Guo felt something was wrong and quickly called his confidant, "Has there been any news from the capital recently?"
"I was just about to tell you, sir, that we've received quite a few letters these past two days, and some people have even sent us gifts. But sir, you're at Longchi Wharf for an inspection, so..."
"Bring it here for me to see."
The lawyer hurried to get the letter.
There were quite a few letters, some of which came with lists of gifts. They were not very valuable, but they were a token of my appreciation, especially since two of them were relatives I hadn't had much contact with.
The legal advisor carefully looked at Governor Guo's expression and felt that his expression was too difficult to understand. He couldn't understand it at once.
"Sir, is...something wrong?"
Governor Guo threw the letter on the table for him to read. "Something big has happened."
The master hurried to take it and look at it. "Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"
Governor Guo had a complicated expression on his face. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"
It is indeed a good thing. Bai Shan planted so many new rice seeds under his rule, and the harvest was good. As the governor of Qingzhou, he naturally has a share of this achievement.
But... Bai Shancai reported this matter not long ago during the autumn harvest. Not only did the capital know the news earlier than him, but they also determined the feasibility of the new rice variety so quickly. The national policy had already been set before he had time to participate.
I always feel that being a governor is very frustrating.
Governor Guo sat in his chair for a long time and sighed, "It was wrong from the beginning."
"Ah?" The lawyer looked up in confusion. "Sir, what's wrong?"
Governor Guo waved his hand and said, "I was wrong. At first, I was worried that County Magistrate Lu would get in my way, so I focused all my attention on him. But now it seems that Bai Shancai is just pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger."
"It's only been two years, and Bai Shan has done so much. Is Beihai County still the same as before?"
The lawyer whispered, "But sir, County Magistrate Bai has done good things, right? You have contributed to all of this..."
Governor Guo shook his head, feeling somewhat uneasy. "I'm afraid Your Majesty doesn't agree. I don't know if I can continue in this position."
The emperor really wanted to change the governor of Qingzhou at this time.
As soon as Zhou Man left, he remembered this matter.
He said to Old Master Tang, "Guo Cheng is good at maintaining the status quo, but I'm afraid he's not good at starting a business. Bai Shan and Zhou Man are both in Qingzhou now, and they are not the kind of people who are content with the status quo. If Guo Cheng stays in Qingzhou any longer, he will probably become a roadblock."
Old Lord Tang, however, preferred to remain cautious. After some thought, he shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, Governor Guo has only been in office for two years. He's only just becoming familiar with Qingzhou's affairs, and the officials and people of Qingzhou are just getting to know him. Transferring him now would only be worse for Qingzhou. And who can guarantee that the new governor will be more adaptable to Qingzhou than Guo Cheng?"
"Huh?" The emperor looked at Old Lord Tang in surprise. "Hasn't Lord Tang always disliked Guo Cheng? If I remember correctly, it was Lord Tang who impeached him last time he was dismissed from office."
Old Master Tang: "...Your Majesty, last time I enforced the law impartially, and this time I will also consider the overall situation."
He said, "Although I dislike Guo Cheng very much, I have to admit that it is better for him to stay in Qingzhou than to leave at this time. He has strong deployment capabilities. With him, the promotion of new rice and wheat varieties in Qingzhou should not be a problem."
"He's also sensible of the situation. The princess and her husband are currently in Beihai County, and Bai Shan and Zhou Man have the support of His Majesty and the Crown Prince. He won't confront Bai Shan head-on and will be more likely to compromise." Old Master Tang said, "If we send someone else, they might not be so tolerant. After all, many of Bai Shan's actions are beyond the pale."
Not to mention far away places, let’s just take the salt fields in Beihai County as an example. If you encounter a stronger governor, it is not impossible for him to take over the salt fields directly.
Bai Shan was just a county magistrate, and since the governor's office wanted to take over the salt field, he had no choice but to give in.
Not everyone is as aware of the times as Guo Cheng.
"But it would be better if he could be more indifferent to fame and gain," said Old Lord Tang. "I also know that when the water is too clear, there are no fish, but when it is too turbid, the fish will suffocate. So, Your Majesty, please send a secret letter to warn him not to overreach and not to forget why he was dismissed last time."
The emperor was still receptive to suggestions. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll use him temporarily. I originally wanted to let General Liu, who is guarding Bohai, serve as the governor."
Old Master Tang thought for a moment and shuddered. "Not right, not right. General Liu may be upright, but he's ruthless and has a strong character. Bai Shan may look gentle, but he's also very stubborn. If these two people clash..."
Bai Shan always likes to do things on a grand scale and in-depth, often bypassing the provincial governor to make decisions. If things go wrong, it will be like a tit-for-tat situation...
The emperor turned to Gu Zhong and said, "Find the memorial from Governor Guo. I will review it and have a few words with him."
It was not difficult for the emperor to slip some private information into the memorial.
Gu Zhong understood instantly and quickly took out a letter wishing the emperor good health on Double Ninth Festival. This was a letter of greeting sent to the capital by Governor Guo not long ago.
The emperor opened it and replied that everything was fine, and then began to talk to Governor Guo about his "heartfelt words".
The memorial will be sent out and returned by the same route. I believe that Governor Guo will receive it soon.
Like Governor Guo, the current county magistrate of Luojiang County was almost replaced.
But unfortunately, he did not have the intuition of Governor Guo, nor could he think of anything deeper.
There was a bumper harvest in Qili Village, and when the capital sent people to announce the decree to summon Zhou Lizhong to the capital because of the new rice seeds, he was just excited.
“These are all my achievements.”
The lawyer was also very happy and nodded repeatedly.
Zhou Lizhong was transferred to the capital, and not long after, he was promoted from a minor official to the sixth-rank Sinong Temple Secretary, an official rank higher than his own as a county magistrate.
To be honest, the county magistrate was so envious that his eyes were almost red.
Then he worked hard to organize the villagers of Qili Village to harvest in autumn, dry the crops, weigh them, and then write a memorial to send to the capital.
He began to anxiously wait for the award from the capital, secretly praying in his heart that he would be promoted this time.
But he waited from August to September, and from early September to the end of September, and the winter wheat had begun to be planted, but there was still no news from the capital.
Good night
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
