The first time in history

Wang Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Sir, the officials and gentry here are headed by several aristocratic families such as the Zhang family, the Li family, and the Zhao family. The Zhang family controls most of the cloth shops in the city and has a high prestige in the business world. The children of the family also have many connections in the officialdom."

Wang Yuan paused for a moment. "The Li family runs a bank and is very wealthy, with complicated relationships with all parties. The Zhao family is a scholarly family, with many of their children working in institutions of higher learning, and they are quite influential among scholars. They have both cooperation and conflicts of interest with each other, and they have a say in the affairs of the city."

Qian Mingduo frowned slightly and then asked, "What about the living conditions of the people? Are there any difficulties?"

"Sir, most of the people in the city live and work in peace and contentment, making a living by doing business and farming. However, there is an area to the west of the city, close to the mountains, where the land is barren and the people there live in poverty. They are often harassed by bandits, and the grain harvest is not good either." Wang Yuan answered truthfully.

"Well, the issue of land is also crucial. Tell me, what is the quality of the land in various places in Jian'an City?" Qian Mingduo continued to ask.

"Sir, the land in the east of the city is fertile and has sufficient water resources. It is the main grain-producing area. There are large orchards in the south of the city, and the fruits produced are famous. But as mentioned before, the land in the west of the city is poor and not conducive to farming. There are some mines in the north of the city, but the mining rights are mostly in the hands of a few major official families."

Qian Mingduo pondered for a moment and asked, "What about the income and expenditure of money and grain? This is related to people's livelihood and the operation of the government."

Wang Yuan's expression became serious. "Sir, taxes have been relatively stable over the years, mainly from commercial taxes and farmland taxes. But in the past two years, due to floods and banditry, grain production has decreased, and business has also been affected to a certain extent, so the income from money and grain has fluctuated slightly. In terms of expenditure, building water conservancy projects and maintaining public order are all major items. Although the treasury is still full at present, there may be hidden dangers if this continues for a long time."

Qian Mingduo listened and nodded slightly. He had already made a preliminary calculation in his mind. It seemed that there were many problems in Jian'an City that needed to be solved by him as the prefect.

At dawn, the stone pavement in Jiankang City was a little chilly in the mist. A group of ragged common people, with faces full of sorrow and anger, swarmed towards the government office of the Jiankang prefect.

They walked hurriedly, gathered around each other, their eyes full of desire for justice. In the crowd, there was a gray-haired old man, who leaned on a wooden stick. Every step he took seemed a little difficult, but his eyes were determined.

Next to him was a young woman holding a baby in her arms. The baby was crying because of the long journey. The woman patted the child and sobbed softly. Her husband was bullied to death by a local bully, but she had no way to appeal.

"We must ask the prefect to make the decision for us today!" Someone in the crowd shouted. The voice was particularly loud in the quiet morning and made everyone more excited.

The majestic gate of the government office appeared in front of us. The vermilion gate was tightly closed, and the stone lions at the gate seemed to be watching the sufferings of the world with cold eyes. The common people stopped in front of the government office, looking at each other, with a trace of fear in their eyes, but more of determination.

A middle-aged man stepped forward, picked up the heavy drumstick, and struck the injustice drum vigorously. The "dong dong dong" drum sound echoed over the government office, breaking the tranquility of the early morning. The yamen runners inside the gate were startled by the sudden drum sound and hurriedly opened the gate.