Chapter 531

After the banquet, all the officials and gentry dispersed. Magistrate Hua, County Magistrate Xu, Register Wang, and Ye Xiaotian, the four main officials of the yamen, accompanied the two imperial envoys to the 'residence' they were staying in.

Hulu County did not have any decent residence, and rebuilding it would take too long. They also did not have the miraculous speed that Ye Xiaotian had when he built a mansion on the mountain. Thus, they could only borrow a house from the local gentry family and renovate it to serve as the residence of the imperial envoys.

The county's philanthropist, Hong Baichuan, had once offered to borrow his family's house, and Ye Xiaotian had also offered to borrow a courtyard in the Ye Residence. From there, they could look down on the county's scenery. However, these proposals were all rejected by Xu Boyi without the slightest hesitation.

Let the imperial envoys stay in the Ye Residence? What a joke! Xu Boyi understood the principle of being in a favorable position. Of course, that would not work. The only son of the Hong family, Law Tycoon, and Ye Xiaotian were close friends, so the Hong family could not be used. Thus, the residence of the two imperial envoys naturally became the Qi Residence. Living in his mistress's home, Xu Boyi would feel at ease, and he would also have a better chance to get close to the two imperial envoys.

The four escorted the two imperial envoys to the Qi Residence. The Qi Residence had long since tidied up two adjacent courtyards, and the doors connecting the two courtyards to the main residence of the Qi family had also been locked. The imperial envoys' attendants were scattered throughout the residence, surrounding and protecting the surroundings for safety. The four escorted Assistant Minister Lin back to his residence, and then saw off Imperial Uncle Li. After exchanging some pleasantries, the four were about to leave when Imperial Uncle Li suddenly called out, "Yeh Dianshi, please wait!"

Hua Qingfeng glanced at Ye Xiaotian with some surprise, feeling somewhat happy. The imperial envoy had left Ye Xiaotian alone, so it was clear that he had a good relationship with him. Hua Qingfeng and Ye Xiaotian were advancing and retreating together, so what was beneficial to Ye Xiaotian was naturally beneficial to him.

This friend was lacking in the ways of the world, and his emotional intelligence was too low. From the time they had greeted the two imperial envoys until now, Xu Boyi and Register Wang had long since noticed that there was a grudge between Imperial Uncle Li and Ye Xiaotian, but he could not see it. He even thought that Ye Xiaotian and Imperial Uncle Li were old acquaintances, and had a good relationship.

Of course, not only was Magistrate Hua's emotional intelligence low, his intelligence was also not very high. Although he had astutely concealed the hatred in his heart and continued to act as he was, wanting to use Ye Xiaotian to get rid of Xu Boyi and Wang Ning, and then put Ye Xiaotian to death, it was hard to predict whether this Vengeful Prince Charming, who only had determination but no ability, would be able to make a magnificent turnaround.

Xu Boyi swept a glance over Ye Xiaotian without batting an eyelid, and Register Wang gave Ye Xiaotian a 'good luck' look before they all excused themselves from Imperial Uncle Li. Ye Xiaotian waited for the three to leave before saying to Imperial Uncle Li, "What instructions does Imperial Uncle have for this lowly official?"

Imperial Uncle Li said with a smile, "Why don't you sit down and talk?"

Ye Xiaotian did not hesitate and calmly walked over. Lifting his robe, he sat down with a flourish.

Imperial Uncle Li smiled slightly and sat down at the head of the table. He looked at Ye Xiaotian with an amused expression, like a cat staring at a mouse struggling under its claws, "Imperial Uncle Li has come under the imperial edict. I have the power to make arbitrary decisions regarding all matters in Gourd County. I have the power to appoint and dismiss officials below the fifth rank at my discretion. The capable will be rewarded and the mediocre will be punished. This is to show that my Holy Son of Heaven is fair in giving out rewards and punishments. Imperial Uncle Li purposely asked you to stay because I wanted to remind you that you must perform well. Otherwise, even if I want to take care of you, I cannot be biased. "

If someone did not know the grudges between the two of them, after hearing these words, they would really think that Imperial Uncle Li was taking care of him. Ye Xiaotian naturally heard the threat in his words and replied with a smile that was not a smile, "Many thanks for Imperial Uncle Li's care. But... according to common sense, this arbitrary power should belong to Assistant Minister Lin, right? "

Imperial Uncle Li's face reddened and he angrily said, "What? Do you think that just because I am an imperial envoy, I don't have the right to discuss and discuss matters?"

Imperial Uncle Li had suffered a great loss at the hands of Ye Xiaotian and had no way of getting back at him. His heart was very sullen, but now that he had the power, he felt quite elated.

Imperial envoys were not permanent positions. They were officials who were sent out on special missions. However, the Empire was vast and communication and transportation were not convenient. Thus, imperial envoys often had the right to inspect the local people and evaluate the officials.

Xu Boyi's memorial specifically mentioned that the magistrate and other officials of Gourd County were not doing their job and that he had no choice but to submit the memorial. The young and impetuous Emperor Wanli was very dissatisfied with the officials of Gourd County. However, the young Emperor, who had been trained by Zhang Juzheng, was still relatively cautious. He first investigated the situation of Gourd County.

In the end, Wanli discovered that although the achievements of Gourd County in the past few years were mediocre and not particularly noteworthy, there were two things that they did well last year. The first was that during the drought, Gourd County had cleverly used water carts to divert water up the mountain, solving the drought problem of the mountain people. The second was that they had exterminated the bandits that had occupied the area for many years.

Because of this, Wanli became more cautious and did not make rash decisions. This was why he allowed Assistant Minister Lin the right to make decisions. The main mission of sending him to Gourd County was to complete the change of customs ceremony. The second mission was to inspect the officials of Gourd County, deal with the mediocre and incompetent officials, and promote the outstanding ones.

This authority naturally belonged to Assistant Minister Lin. Otherwise, the civil officials would cause trouble again. Even if it was a temporary authorization, the authority would be taken back as soon as the imperial envoy's responsibilities were lifted. The officials were not willing to let a relative of the Emperor carry out this authority.

But as one of the imperial envoys, Imperial Uncle Li naturally could not just be a decoration. Once he made a suggestion and there was a certain basis, Assistant Minister Lin could not fall out with him over a minor official. It was a matter of principle for the civil officials to band together to prevent a relative of the Emperor from interfering in politics. It was a matter of principle for an individual official and a relative of the Emperor to maintain a harmonious relationship on the surface. This was a political art and was not contradictory.

Ye Xiaotian smiled slightly and stood up. "Yes or no, it has little to do with this lowly official. This lowly official is very satisfied with the current situation. Even though I have not contributed much, I have not made any mistakes and will not be punished. Imperial Uncle has had a long journey. Rest early. This lowly official will take his leave. "

Li Xuancheng laughed coldly. "You're leaving just like that? Yeh Dianshi, why are you in such a hurry? If Yeh Dianshi does not achieve anything this time, I think you will have a lot of time to stay at home in the future. "

Ye Xiaotian smiled. "Imperial Uncle, you may not know, but this lowly official is still a newlywed. If I leave my wife behind for too long, I will be blamed when I return! "

Li Xuancheng's face immediately turned pale as he cried out involuntarily, "Newlywed? You... You're married? "For a moment, Li Xuancheng's voice trembled as a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

Ye Xiaotian smiled from ear to ear and said, "That's right! This lowly official is already married. Imperial Uncle also knows this lowly official's bride, Miss Xia Yingying. Does Imperial Uncle still remember her? "

Li Xuancheng felt as though he had been struck by lightning as he stood there in a daze. Ye Xiaotian smiled and cupped his hands at him before turning to leave. A long time after Ye Xiaotian left, Li Xuancheng was still standing there in a daze without any reaction.

Ye Xiaotian walked out of the temporary residence. Thinking of Li Xuancheng's expression, he almost laughed out loud. If he liked someone, he would use any means necessary to pursue her. For example, back in Jinling, when Yingying had been imprisoned in the Marquis of Zhenyuan's residence, Ye Xiaotian had climbed walls, burrowed holes, and even used flying methods.

But Li Xuancheng couldn't do that. He had too many misgivings, and it wasn't even convenient for him to openly inquire about the girl's background and current situation. Ye Xiaotian felt that it was very interesting to tease this hypocrite. He thought without malice, "Tonight, the imperial envoy won't be able to sleep, right?"

When Ye Xiaotian returned to the residence, Law Tycoon was waiting in the living room. Law Tycoon was about to become a father, and he had recently fallen out with his father. The series of events had made him much more mature, and he looked calmer than before. Unless he was especially happy, he would forget himself. Normally, he wouldn't act rashly.

As soon as he saw Ye Xiaotian, Tycoon jumped out of his chair and said with a smile, "Big brother, you're back!"

Ye Xiaotian saw him squeeze out of his chair and couldn't help but laugh, "Tycoon, if you continue to get fat, you can become the prefect of Tongren."

Law Tycoon was stunned and asked curiously, "Can one become a prefect just because they're fat?"

Ye Xiaotian laughed, "That's not the case. It's just that the prefect of Tongren is extremely fat, even fatter than you. Every time he stands up from his chair, it takes two people to pull him out. If you continue to get fat, you'll also have the same tendency. "

Luo Daheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's really rare for me to meet someone fatter than me. Gourd County is too small, and it's very difficult to continue expanding. I'm planning to move my main shop to Tongren, and at that time, I'd like to meet this fat prefect. By the way, what did you call me here for? "

Ye Xiaotian's face turned serious, "Tomorrow, Xu Boyi will be gathering the leaders of the various tribes to hold the ceremony. How are you contacting the two young masters? Don't make any mistakes at this crucial moment!"

Law Tycoon said, "Don't worry, Big Brother. I've already contacted them. Gao Ya and Li Bohao, those two brats, will naturally be on your side."

Ye Xiaotian said, "But the ones in charge now are the two chiefs. With their status, they won't consider things based on their own temperament. They will only consider the interests of their own tribes."

Law Tycoon laughed, "What benefits can Xu Boyi give them? The Gao and Li tribes have received great kindness from you, and the two chiefs have expressed that they will wholeheartedly cooperate with you. If Big Brother is still worried, I'll contact them tomorrow morning. "

Ye Xiaotian nodded, "There's no harm in being careful. You have to keep a close eye on them!"

Xu Boyi's residence was right next to the Qi Residence, and it was the closest way back. Xu Boyi came out of the imperial envoy's residence, and it didn't take him long to reach his own residence. He sat down on the armchair and let out a tired sigh. He had been the one taking care of things the whole day, and he didn't feel anything in front of the imperial envoy. Only now did he feel his back ache, as if he had completely fallen apart.

A pair of soft hands gently rested on his shoulders, and skillfully massaged him. Xu Boyi didn't turn around, only closing his eyes and relaxing his body.

Madam Qi gently massaged his shoulders. After a while, Xu Boyi slowly said, "Hua Qingfeng and Ye Xiaotian won't give up so easily. Especially Ye Xiaotian. That scourge has a close relationship with the Gao and Li tribes because of the canal diversion to relieve the drought. We have to divert him away to prevent him from causing trouble. Have you made the arrangements on your side? "

Madam Qi softly acknowledged and gently leaned against him. Kissing his forehead, she softly said, "Ever since you gave the order, this concubine has started to make arrangements. The time is set for tomorrow, and we will definitely divert that Ye Xiaotian away. It would be best if he dies in the mountains, only then will this servant's wish be fulfilled!" Towards the end, Madam Qi's voice was already filled with bone-deep hatred.

Xu Boyi softly chuckled. He gently wrapped his arms around Madam Qi's soft waist, but his large hands gradually tightened on her plump buttocks. He smiled and said, "Why? Are you still thinking about Qi Mu?"

Madam Qi felt pain and numbness from his grip, but she didn't dare to show it. She only smiled charmingly and said, "I am already your woman. Lord, are you still jealous of that dead ghost?"

With a smile, Xu Boyi said, "He is my woman, so he can only think of me. Even if he is a dead ghost, he can't."

Madam Qi lowered her head and said in a gentle voice, "Yes, this servant will remember!"

Xu Boyi placed his hand on Madam Qi's shoulder and pressed down lightly. "Old Master, you're tired. Serve me!"

Madam Qi gently squatted down and lifted his robe before she buried her head in his crotch. With two balls of ghostly fire burning in his eyes, Xu Boyi said in a deep voice, "This time, I must defeat him!" As he spoke, his body pushed forward, and a muffled groan came from his crotch, as though he was begging for mercy.