Chapter 100 Jinzhou! We've finally arrived in Jinzhou! ...
The goddess enters the city today.
The news had already been spread throughout the city by Ning Huai'an and Hu Dazhu's soldiers. Many people in Jinzhou, either out of curiosity or gratitude, arrived at the city gate early in the morning to watch the goddess from Anling County.
"He Qinglan? Do you know her background?"
In the restaurant closest to the city gate, several young men from prominent local families were drinking on the second floor.
With the windows wide open, they looked down at the street below, where brave soldiers stood on both sides.
A young man said in a low voice, "I don't know. When Ning Huai'an and Hu Dazhu had just conquered Sifang County, my father sent someone to Anling to inquire. All we knew was that she suddenly appeared in Yunhe County of Anling County a few years ago."
"Suddenly?" The young man who asked the question raised an eyebrow. "No family background, no status? You can't possibly not even have parents, can you?"
The overweight young man joked, "She's a goddess, doesn't a goddess need a powerful family background?"
"Goddess?" a short, thin young man asked sarcastically.
"He Qinglan is quite remarkable; a woman who can command so many followers."
"But she boasted that she was a goddess..."
A boy who hadn't spoken until now couldn't help but ask, "If she weren't a goddess, how could she provide food to her believers day after day?"
He looked around at everyone and said, "I don't believe you didn't see the five dishes and one soup that He Qinglan bestowed. While your families may be wealthy, can you really produce all those ingredients and seasonings?"
The air suddenly became quiet.
Yes, they knew very well that He Qinglan's title of "goddess" was well-deserved.
She really can supply an unlimited amount of food.
Their sarcastic remarks here are nothing more than self-deception.
“Brother Zhang,” the short, thin youth said angrily, “you’re speaking up for He Qinglan like this, are you hoping she’ll let your Zhang family off after she enters the city? Don’t forget what happened to those counties before…”
The young man surnamed Zhang coughed a few times and said, "I have no hope. He Qinglan is already in power here. I am just a commoner. I can't even see her face."
Looking at the pale face of the boy surnamed Zhang, the chubby young man seemed to remember something and said, "Mo Jingchun."
Seeing the slight change in the young man's expression, the chubby youth laughed, "He Qinglan has set a really good example."
The Zhang family has only one son in this generation, who was born weak and sickly. It is unknown whether he will live past the age of twenty.
But the Zhang family has three exceptionally talented daughters.
Mo Jingchun's appearance gave the Zhang family hope: if Mo Jingchun, a country girl, could become the head of a prefecture, how could their daughter, who had been well-read since childhood, not have a chance to rise under He Qinglan?
It is said that He Qinglan was selected for his official post through an examination, which was very fair.
Mo Jingchun and Xiang Yuesheng rode their horses along the newly paved road.
Xiang Yuesheng praised Mo Jingchun's riding skills, saying, "You've improved a lot; you can sign up for the horse riding competition at the state games!"
Mo Jingchun chuckled. "Don't flatter me. I learned this technique purely from my experience of falling down in the countryside."
Xiang Yuesheng looked at her tanned skin that hadn't returned to its original color and laughed heartily, "Practice makes perfect."
Mo Jingchun glanced sideways at the restaurant to his right rear, a smirk playing on his lips. "Those so-called big families don't seem particularly convinced?"
Xiang Yuesheng didn't take it seriously, saying, "We don't need everyone to submit from the bottom of their hearts."
Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be dealt with.
Those who dared not cause trouble expressed their submission to the goddess to her, and she accepted it. As for what they whispered about in private, she couldn't hear it and didn't care.
Mo Jingchun sneered, "Being able to serve the Goddess is their blessing! Their ancestors must have accumulated good karma to have such good fortune! They're not even satisfied, a bunch of fools!"
Xiang Yuesheng was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Yes, a bunch of blind idiots who can't even seize a windfall."
Xiao Mo truly lives up to his reputation as one of the goddess's number one die-hard fans.
However, his wife was no less formidable; she once fought with someone who spoke ill of the goddess and knocked out one of their teeth.
Several young women were drinking tea at a roadside tea stall.
Clever shopkeepers guessed that many people would gather at the city gate to see the legendary goddess today, so they arrived early to secure a spot to set up their stalls.
And look how well business is booming!
The tea stall owners looked smugly at the vendors selling candy, snacks, ice cream, and cold noodles who came after them: "We've already taken the best spots!"
The second young lady of the Zhang family took a sip of green tea and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "In the past, when people brewed tea, they would brew a pot of it in this way or that way, and they couldn't taste the tea at all."
The woman sitting next to her nodded, "That's right, I liked it the first time I drank it."
Another tall woman said, "The tea, wine, and sugar from Sifang County and Yuanxi County are all very good. My father is currently looking for ways to meet General Hu and General Ning, and wants to do business in tea and wine."
She suddenly stopped, "Hey, look! Mo Jingchun!"
Several young women cast envious glances at Mo Jingchun as he rode by on horseback.
"Oh dear, I'm a few years older than her. She's a prefect now, while I'm still living off her husband at home," Miss Zhang said sourly.
The girls echoed enviously:
"Yes, yes, that's what happens when people have different fates."
“Prefect Mo followed the goddess early on, and that’s how he got his current position.”
"The goddess enters the city today, taking command of the entire Jinzhou. Prefect Mo will surely be promoted!"
"If we were... I wonder if we could..."
The tall woman, whose family ran a business, winked mysteriously. "I've specifically inquired about it. Under the goddess's rule, officials are selected through examinations, regardless of whether they are merchants."
The others understood what she meant, "You..."
The tall woman nodded repeatedly, "I want to go!"
A reserved young woman hesitated, "But what if... the goddess is defeated in the future, wouldn't that be..."
The tall woman raised her eyebrows. "At least I've already served as an official!"
"ah?"
The tall woman said, "And today, some choose Lu Wei, some choose Lu Hong, some choose Sun Yannan, and some choose Ye Hui. Can they be sure that the person they choose will ultimately win?"
No one can get bail; everyone is just gambling.
Or rather, some people simply need a place to showcase themselves.
“Me too. I don’t care whether the goddess wins or loses in the end. I just want to become an official!” the tall woman said decisively.
The women were stunned.
Miss Zhang couldn't help but laugh. "Excellent, excellent! This is a golden opportunity: you don't need to consider family background or marry into a high-ranking family. As long as you pass the goddess's test based on your own abilities, you can become an official!"
The Zhang family desperately needed this opportunity. After all, none of the six members of the family wanted to hand over the Zhang family to those troublesome cousins, nor did they want to hand it over to a son-in-law who appeared out of nowhere.
The tall woman smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling, "Even if it's just for a month, I'd be willing to die for it."
Many people are talking about the goddess who is about to become the new master of Jinzhou.
"I've heard that the goddess allows girls and boys to study at the academy together!"
"What?"
"Auntie, your little girl can go to school now! The goddess doesn't charge any fees!"
"She can go to school too?"
"Yes, you can go! The goddess said that all children of school age must be sent to the academy! You have no choice but to send them."
"You can't even refuse to deliver?!"
“I heard from my great-aunt who lives in Yuanxi County that it’s not just children who need to study, adults need to study too!”
"Does the adult want some too?"
“My great-aunt is quite old, and she was forced to learn how to write her own name.”
"This goddess is actually... Could she be the reincarnation of the God of Literature?" She can't stand seeing people who are illiterate.
"No, no, no, the goddess must be the goddess of food! The meat she gave us was so delicious!"
"The vegetables are delicious too, so many fresh leafy greens."
"Fried chicken, fried chicken, fried chicken!"
"Cold dishes are delicious too, I think the key is to have plenty of seasonings!"
"You see, that's why the goddess is definitely a reincarnation of the God of Food!"
“Hey, I went to repair the road a while ago and the soldiers who were supervising the construction said that they would be building an academy, a library, a goddess’s palace, and an administrative building, and they would be hiring workers.”
"Corvée labor?"
"No, no, no, they said there would be wages!"
"Really?"
"Are they really paying wages or just bluffing?"
"It's true! Their businesses in those counties have really taken off, and I hear they're making a lot of money!"
Propaganda staff from Sifang County and Yuanxi County had already been working on the local people's mindset in the city long before Hu Dazhu attacked the city.
After entering the city, Hu Dazhu neither killed nor disturbed the people, nor plundered their property, thus winning the favor of the people who were still somewhat skeptical.
With He Qinglan providing three meals a day for free, the people readily accepted the propaganda department's promise and were filled with anticipation for the goddess's arrival!
At the city gate.
Hu Dazhu, Ning Huai'an, Zhu Youchuan, Mo Jingchun, and Xiang Yuesheng stood in a row.
Behind them were two rows of soldiers standing by the roadside, and countless citizens of the state waiting to see the goddess.
Someone shouted, and everyone, no matter what they were doing, stopped what they were doing and looked toward the end of the official road.
A young woman rode up on horseback.
She wasn't wearing any fancy clothes; she was only dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, with her long hair tied in a bun.
From a distance, she looks like an ordinary country girl.
But as the horse drew closer, people could see the face clearly.
Pure white and bright, cold and sharp, she seemed to exude a mysterious and dangerous aura.
No one could ignore her because of her simple clothes, and no one would fail to recognize her.
The moment she appears, everyone will know: she is the legendary goddess, He Qinglan.
He Qinglan rode closer on horseback.
Cheng Hui and others followed closely behind.
Hu Dazhu and the others bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Goddess!"
He Qinglan raised her eyes and looked at the two large characters "Jinzhou" carved on the city wall in front of her.
She calmly said, "No need for formalities."
The young woman's clear, cool voice reached everyone present, carrying an undeniable authority: "From this day forward, I am the new master of Jinzhou, and I will be in charge of all affairs in Jinzhou."
"You'd better recognize this fact sooner rather than later, and don't try to provoke me. My motto has always been: those who obey me prosper, and those who defy me perish."
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Author's Note: Qiu Tang: Why doesn't the goddess ride a white tiger instead of a horse? Isn't riding a white tiger cooler than riding a horse?
He Qinglan: Because the idiot author doesn't know if a four-year-old tiger can carry a grown woman like me.
Qiutang: Uh
Jinzhou Prefecture: Now that I'm here, my prefecture is equivalent to a provincial capital in later times. Don't I deserve to have my own name?
He Qinglan: Let her go. If you push her too far, she'll find a village name for you to use. She happens to have more than three hundred village names.
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