At this point, he glanced at Hu Ke.
"You are indeed not as good-looking as me, but you are still presentable. There's no need to be so pessimistic."
Seeing that Li Ping was teasing him, Hu Ke frowned and glared at him.
"Alright, let's get things ready and take care of what needs to be done before we prepare to welcome Lord Zhu!"
Li Ping then nodded solemnly, "Okay..."
Although they usually like to joke around with each other, when it comes to serious matters, they immediately change their expressions and become serious.
...
Censor Zhu arrived at the Yong'an County government office around noon.
Although this Lord Zhu was only a third-rank official, he wielded considerable power. He was mainly in charge of assessing local performance, supervising various illegal activities of local officials, and could even directly issue orders on behalf of the imperial court to dismiss inactive officials before reporting the matter to the court.
Therefore, those who can hold this position are generally people whom the emperor trusts most, or people who are strongly recommended by the crown prince and his court officials.
Prefect Zhuang Guoqiang was caught off guard and somewhat flustered by his sudden arrival.
He looked at Lord Zhu, who was sitting in the main seat, and hurriedly stepped forward to bow and pay his respects.
"Lord Zhu, I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. I hope you will not take offense."
Lord Zhu waved his hand with a stern face.
"I am here on imperial orders to inspect various places, so Lord Zhuang need not be alarmed."
"Yes, yes, I'm afraid I've neglected Lord Zhu. By the way, how many days will you be staying in Yong'an City? I'll arrange accommodations there..."
"No need, I have my own arrangements. I've heard that your Yong'an City is a place of good weather and abundant harvests, where the people are prosperous. Yet, for many days, no one has beaten the drum to appeal for justice. Is that true?"
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