Today, the convoy arrived at the county town closest to the Yellow River estuary.
The local magistrate had arranged for people to greet the motorcade at the city gate well in advance. As soon as he saw the motorcade, he ordered people to beat gongs and drums, making it a very grand occasion.
Bei Menlin was no stranger to this kind of situation. After a long and tiring journey, he had no mood to deal with the county magistrate.
He declined the magistrate's invitation to stay at the magistrate's residence, and instead had a restaurant booked and all his luggage unloaded.
He Feng has always been in good health, but the bumpy journey has left her looking haggard.
Bei Menlin first coaxed her to sleep, then had someone summon all the officials, big and small, from the county town to the lobby of the restaurant to learn about the disasters of previous years.
He was a martial arts master who had served in government for over ten years, but his career was solely dedicated to the battlefield.
The task of controlling floods has always been undertaken by civil officials.
The local officials were aware of this, so when Beimen Lin inquired about the situation, they all gave vague and ambiguous answers, as if they had planned it beforehand, clearly trying to deceive Beimen Lin.
Bei Menlin's reputation in the capital was known to everyone.
However, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. In this county with only a few thousand people, the highest-ranking official is the county magistrate, followed by the lower-ranking officials.
These people, taking advantage of their remote location and lack of direct access to the central government, routinely abuse their positions to oppress the people and act with impunity.
Even though they had heard the tragic stories of those officials upstream, and were terrified, they were unwilling to give up right away.
If you show weakness first, you will only be suppressed by this military general.
Since we're going to be in trouble anyway, we might as well take a gamble. Maybe this general is just brave but reckless; we can fool him.
Along the way, Bei Menlin had seen too many officials like them, so slick and slippery that he couldn't find a single fault with them.
But he was an unconventional person. Since he couldn't find a breakthrough in the airtight defenses, he tore one open himself.
He unfastened his sword and slammed it heavily onto the table.
Bei Menlin gave a cold smile in front of a table of officials who were terrified and turned pale.
"I am a rough man and I don't know how to smooth things over. I'll just say what I have to say."
"His Majesty ordered me to manage the floods, and I need the cooperation of all of you. It is all for the sake of the people, and unity is the most important thing. If you do not give me face, then my sword will not be merciful!"
His movements were rough, and the sword almost struck the magistrate's hand.
The magistrate managed to restrain himself from jumping up.
Bei Menlin's words made the county magistrate realize that Bei Menlin had summoned them as soon as he arrived in the county town, without even taking a break, not to understand the disaster situation, but clearly to give them a warning.
Everyone here is a shrewd person; how could they not guess what Bei Menlin meant?
The magistrate's eyes shifted from the sword to Bei Menlin, and he smiled apologetically first.
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? As subjects of Sufeng, we should serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion until our dying breath. If Your Majesty has any needs, please feel free to ask."
Bei Menlin's face was devoid of a smile. He looked around at the people present and said in a deep voice, "I apologize for disturbing you all today. I have been traveling all night and need to rest well today. Starting tomorrow, I will discuss the matter of flood control with you all."
He paused for a moment, then said, slowly and deliberately, "I hate people who are late more than anything else in my life."
Several people changed their expressions to varying degrees.
In order to teach Beimen Lin a lesson, except for a minor official who usually followed the rules, the others were all late to varying degrees.
Bei Menlin's initial show of force was far too much.
After leaving the restaurant, the group looked dejected.
If it were any of the high-ranking civil officials in the past, they would all have turned a blind eye after receiving bribes.
Therefore, military generals are said to be dull-witted and inflexible!
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