Chapter 381 Meeting an Old Friend Again
Zhao State.
Capital city.
Li Nuo waved to the girls including Zhao Zhiyi, and a "giant bird" soared into the sky and soon disappeared into the clouds.
This is the first aircraft on the continent. It has the advantages of both a helicopter and a passenger plane. It can take off and land vertically and has an extremely fast speed. It only consumes Li Yun's true energy to travel thousands of miles and is environmentally friendly and pollution-free.
During the days they stayed in Zhao State, the Queen arranged everything for them in great detail.
In order for the beauty to break through to the master level as soon as possible, she convened a martial arts conference in the name of the court, inviting the masters of all major martial arts sects in Zhao State to come to the capital, ostensibly for exchange and discussion, but in fact to serve as sparring partners for the beauty.
She also gave An Ning a token, allowing her to enter and exit the Zhao State Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple at any time to investigate cases.
Her Majesty the Queen has been so thoughtful, Li Nuo can now go out and practice with peace of mind.
Although the Phoenix did not come with her, in a sense, the Queen just took her place.
Yiren is in a relationship where they can sleep in the same bed with her. Although Jiahe and An Ning are not as close to her as they are to Fenghuang, Li Nuo believes that it is only a matter of time before they become as close as sisters.
After seeing Li Nuo off, the four girls came to the backyard of the palace together.
A huge amusement park was built here, and several palace maids were taking four little ones to play on the slide.
Yiren looked at Li Yan, Li Nian, Li Zhi and Zhao Che, and was speechless. Among the four little guys, the one who looked most like Li Nuo was Zhao Che, who was not related by blood.
However, they are still too young and their facial features have not fully developed. Perhaps they will not look alike when they grow up...
…
A certain state in Daxia.
Inside the provincial government office, several officials were talking.
"According to information revealed by the Secretariat, the imperial court may cancel the tax-exempt privileges of officials in the future, and we will have to pay taxes together with ordinary people."
"Alas, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be an official. Not only is the head on the neck uneasy, but the court is also constantly restricting our power."
"It's not worth it to study hard for more than ten or twenty years just to become an official like this."
"I heard that Li Nuo has started to inspect the local areas again. He has arrested 60 to 70 percent of the officials in Qingzhou, from the government office to the county office. I wonder if he will inspect our Huangzhou..."
"Huangzhou is so far away from Qingzhou, it shouldn't be that fast, right?"
"Maybe Qingzhou is not too close to Changzhou. After he inspected Changzhou, he showed up in Qingzhou the next day. The local officials in Qingzhou were caught off guard by him and had no time to prepare. That's why they suffered so badly..."
"We still have to prepare in advance. Don't let him find out anything. We should warn those unruly people and deal with them as needed. Don't let them cause trouble at this time..."
As they were discussing, a yamen runner suddenly ran in and said loudly, "My lords, the inspector Li Nuo has arrived. Let's go to the front yamen to meet him!"
When everyone heard this, their faces suddenly turned pale.
“So fast!”
…
Three days later, Li Nuo left Huangzhou.
Since he discovered that when he patrolled the states one by one in sequence, officials in some states would prepare in advance or find an excuse to leave the area before he arrived, making it impossible for him to catch anyone, Li Nuo no longer patrolled according to the routine.
After inspecting one state, he would not go to a neighboring state next, but choose another state thousands of miles away.
As his Confucian cultivation continued to improve, he became more and more proficient in controlling the cloud of righteousness, and it only took him a few hours to cross a distance of a thousand miles.
Above the official road, a map of Daxia slowly floated in the void.
Li Nuo held a dart between his middle finger and index finger. He closed his eyes and threw the dart casually. The place where the dart hit was the next place he would inspect.
Li Nuo opened his eyes, walked forward, took out the dart, and threw it under him.
There are two conspicuous big characters - Bingzhou.
There are more than a hundred states in Daxia. On the map, the words of some states are enlarged and bold.
These states are often strategic or economic locations, such as Chang'an, or several important military states.
Bingzhou is both an important economic and military center. This is not because of Bingzhou itself, but because of Jinyang County under the jurisdiction of Bingzhou.
Nominally, Jinyang County was under the jurisdiction of Bingzhou, but the power of the Bingzhou governor was far less than that of the Jinyang County magistrate. Not only Bingzhou, but also several states near Bingzhou were deeply influenced by Jinyang County, simply because Jinyang County was the location of the Wang family.
Dongfang Xuan glanced at Li Nuo and asked, "Do you want to change one? Even if I fight to the death, I can only restrain one person in the sixth realm, but the Jinyang Wang family has two martial arts semi-saints..."
Li Nuo smiled slightly and said, "It's okay."
He can restrain one, and Li Nuo himself can also restrain one.
It's nothing more than consuming a lot of his lifespan. The previous Li Nuo couldn't exchange for the sixth level of cultivation even if he was drained dry. But now he is completely different. The accumulation of these few months is enough for him to exchange it several times.
The practice of Legalism and Confucianism is to manage what ordinary people dare not manage, and to kill what others dare not kill.
The higher the difficulty, the greater the reward.
An invisible cloud appeared under their feet. They flew into the air and disappeared quickly...
Bingzhou.
Among all the states of Daxia, Bingzhou is one of the most stable states. No matter how the imperial court's decrees change, it will not affect Bingzhou.
The court restricted the tax-free land of officials, but Bingzhou officials were not included. The court also imposed strict restrictions on the price of medicinal materials, so the prices of medicinal materials in Bingzhou pharmacies were higher. The court had just implemented a minimum monthly salary of two taels of silver nationwide, but some shops in Bingzhou with deep backgrounds did not comply...
Even the inspector censor could not inspect Bingzhou.
But this time was an exception. No one expected that after inspecting the censor Li Nuo had rectified the local officialdom in Huangzhou, he would arrive at the Bingzhou government office within a day.
The officials of Bingzhou government office received Li Nuo warmly and opened the gate of the government office as usual, allowing the people to come and seek justice. However, only a few people came, and the cases they involved were all trivial.
Li Nuo visited the government prison. Every prisoner held in the cell had a reason and there were detailed files to check.
On the surface, Bingzhou is the state with the best public security among all the states that Li Nuo has inspected.
Not only are there very few thefts and criminal cases, but even civil disputes are much less than in other states.
Li Nuo looked through the various files of Bingzhou in detail. No matter in terms of format or process, these files were impeccable and did not seem to be forged.
But experience tells Li Nuo that the more perfect something is, the more likely it is to have problems.
However, even if Senior Dongfang calculated that they were not good officials, he could not do anything to others without substantial evidence.
Walking on the streets of Bingzhou, Li Nuo didn't find anything strange.
The streets here are clean and everything is in order. Judging from the expressions of the people, this doesn't seem like a place where law and order has collapsed.
In front of a cloth shop, several shop assistants were unloading goods. Li Nuo walked up to one of the shop assistants and asked, "Young man, may I ask how much you can get per month for working here?"
The clerk was stunned for a moment, then said, "Two taels of silver."
As if he was afraid that Li Nuo would ask again, he lowered his head and walked into the shop carrying a piece of cloth.
In fact, his monthly salary was only one tael of silver. Every month, the shopkeeper would give him two taels of silver and then ask him to pay back one tael. If outsiders asked about it, he had to tell them that his salary was two taels of silver.
I heard that the monthly wages of workers in Chang'an cannot be less than two taels of silver, otherwise the shopkeeper will be severely punished, and if he fails to change his ways, he will be sent to jail.
Although he also wanted the monthly salary of two taels of silver, if the shopkeeper was arrested, he would not even have one tael left, and then his whole family would starve to death.
Dongfang Xuan said: "He is lying."
Li Nuo also knew that the guy was lying, but since the person involved did not report it, he had no reason to investigate.
More importantly, this is not Chang'an, he cannot solve the problem fundamentally. It is meaningless to check a shop and one or two shopkeepers. If he acts rashly, he may harm these grassroots people.
Li Nuo walked along and found that all the major pharmacies in the city were closed.
The entrance of the drugstore was crowded with patients waiting to get their medicines.
"Why are all the pharmacies closed?"
"I heard that the censor had come. They were afraid of being investigated, so they would not open the door until the censor left."
"When will the Imperial Censor leave? I'm still waiting for medicine to save my life!"
"The Imperial Censor is not staying in Chang'an. Why did he come to our Bingzhou?"
"I heard that the price of medicinal materials in the pharmacies in Chang'an is 10% of what it is here. The court does not allow pharmacies to sell medicine at high prices, so they are afraid of the censor..."
"It must be fake. 10% is so cheap. How can you get such cheap medicine? Don't believe everything you hear!"
…
After walking around Bingzhou City, Li Nuo felt that this was another imperial court independent of Chang'an.
Many of the court's reforms could not be implemented here.
Bingzhou, from the government to the common people, is firmly controlled by an invisible force.
Is this a noble family?
When passing by a high wall, Li Nuo paused slightly.
He heard the sound of a group of children reading aloud from within the high walls.
"If you want to improve yourself, you must first correct your heart. If you want to correct your heart, you must first be sincere in your intentions..."
“If one rejoices in the people’s joy, the people will also rejoice in his joy; if one worries about the people’s worries, the people will also worry about his worries.”
“Before you worry about the world, be the last one to be happy.”
"Poverty cannot change him, wealth cannot corrupt him, might and power cannot bend him."
"If you are poor, you should take care of yourself; if you are rich, you should help the world..."
The sound of reading was clear and loud, sounding quite childish, indicating that the owners of the voices were not very old. These words were taught to the students by Li Nuo in tutoring classes or when he gave lectures in various state schools.
When Li Nuo wrote a book later, he included these words in it, and it was sold in major bookstores in Chang'an. What he didn't expect was that these quotations spread to Bingzhou so quickly.
What surprised Li Nuo even more was that he felt a vague sense of majestic aura from within the high wall.
There is actually a true Confucian disciple in this house.
Judging from this aura, the other party has reached the second level of Confucian cultivation.
Li Nuo simply sat at the tea stall opposite, ordered a pot of tea, and sipped it slowly.
About a quarter of an hour later, several children dressed in luxurious clothes, who were obviously from wealthy families, walked out of the house, turned around, bowed to a figure, and said crisply, "Goodbye, sir!"
A middle-aged man in a Confucian robe looked at them and reminded them, "Don't forget to complete today's homework..."
"Yes, sir!"
After a few children responded, they scattered and ran away, discussing whether to fly a kite or catch crickets after finishing their homework...
Li Nuo looked at the figure standing in front of the door, a trace of surprise appeared on his face, and he murmured: "It's him..."
At the gate of the house, the middle-aged man was about to turn around and go back, but suddenly he felt something in his heart and looked up at somewhere across the street.
Seeing the figure sitting there drinking tea, his body shook slightly, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses. Then he turned around, walked into the yard and closed the door.
Li Nuo put down the teacup and glanced back casually.
About ten steps behind him, two passers-by leaning against the wall saw Li Nuo turning around and immediately retracted their gazes, pretending to be chatting enthusiastically.
"I heard your mother gave birth yesterday?"
"Oh, yes, I have a younger brother again."
"Your father is still strong despite his old age."
"Who says it's not..."
…
As they were chatting, they both suddenly became dazed for a moment. When they came to their senses, they found that the figure next to the tea stall had disappeared.
“Where are the people?”
"have no idea……"
"Find it quickly!"
Just as the two of them were hurriedly looking forward, in the house opposite the tea stall, the middle-aged man had just poured two cups of tea when a figure walked in from outside.
Li Nuo looked at the middle-aged man in front of him and said, "Master Wang, how are you?"
The person in front of him was none other than Wang Duo, the former Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel.
Not long after Li Nuo arrived in this world, he was investigating a case in the Chang'an County Court. Wang Duo's son was sentenced to three years in prison for defiling a woman.
After that, Wang Duo resigned from his position as Kaogong Langzhong and moved his family out of Chang'an.
Li Nuo initially thought that he felt guilty and ashamed to continue to be an official. Later, he realized that he was afraid that his father would investigate him, so he chose to resign to save his life.
Li Nuo was deeply impressed by Wang Duo because he and his father were both Jinshi in the same year and Wang Duo ranked fifth in the imperial examination that year.
The imperial examinations at that time were much more competitive than they are now.
That imperial examination was full of shining stars. Not only was there his father, who won six top prizes, but also the former Jingzhao Yin Lin Fuzhi. If Wang Duo had not met them, he would have had a great chance of winning the top prize in any imperial examination.
The last one on the Jinshi list is the absolute protagonist in their own story.
The top five in the imperial examination are the protagonists among the protagonists.
Of course, even such a person may not even be considered a supporting role in other people's stories.
He worked hard for half his life, but in the end, he had to resign just because he was afraid of someone. And the person he was afraid of might have never had the intention of dealing with him from the beginning to the end.
What Li Nuo did not expect was that Wang Duo did not cultivate the spirit of righteousness when he was an official, but less than three years after he resigned, he had reached the second realm of Confucianism.
Anyone who can stand out from thousands of students is indeed no ordinary person.
Wang Duo looked at Li Nuo, shook his head slightly, and said: "Wang has long lost his official position. Now he is just a teacher and cannot be called an adult."
Li Nuo said: "The court is in need of people. If Lord Wang is interested, you can return to the court at any time."
Wang Duo resigned from his post voluntarily instead of being dismissed by the court. If he wanted to re-enter the court, he didn't need to take the imperial examination. He only needed to hand over a memorial to the left prime minister by Li Nuo.
He could return to the court and even hold a higher position than before.
Although he had made mistakes before, with his current cultivation level of the second level of Confucianism, it was worth it for Li Nuo to do so.
There is no need for doubt among Confucians.
The noble spirit will never appear in treacherous people.
Wang Duo once tried desperately to make further progress in officialdom, but failed.
Now, the thing he once dreamed of is within his reach, but it is no longer what he wants.
Facing Li Nuo's invitation, Wang Duo just smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Li, but Wang Mouzhi is no longer in the officialdom. Teaching and educating people is also a good thing. The future of Daxia does not lie with us, but with these children..."
After hearing what he said, Li Nuo stopped trying to persuade him.
Perhaps, this is why he has reached the second level of Confucianism.
Li Nuo asked, "Why are you in Bingzhou?"
Wang Duo said: "In my early years, I was favored by the Wang family and was able to learn the Six Arts. After I resigned from my official position, I was called back by the Wang family and became a teacher in the academy. Only then did I understand the true meaning of the classics that the teacher taught me..."
The noble spirit is indeed nourishing. After not seeing Wang Duo for more than two years, Li Nuo felt like a completely different person.
Li Nuo did not plan to stay here any longer. After drinking a cup of tea, he stood up and said, "I'll take my leave first. There are many people watching me outside. If I stay any longer, it will cause you trouble..."
Wang Duo did not try to keep him, but took out a thin book from his sleeve and handed it to Li Nuo.
Li Nuo took it, glanced at him, and asked, "This is..."
Wang Duo said: "In the past two years, I have kept records of the crimes committed by Bingzhou officials and Wang's children. The government office cannot find out about these cases because no case involving them will be filed. All those who know about it will be silenced every time. Lord Li will handle it at your discretion. Remember to put your own safety first..."
(End of this chapter)
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