The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

In the imperial study, the stove was burning brightly, driving away the winter chill.

Li Chengfeng was reviewing memorials, and from time to time he looked up at the snowflakes falling outside the window, but his heart was not at peace.

The four major families were confiscated and exiled. It seemed that the storm had subsided, but in fact, undercurrents were surging.

The attitudes of the commanders of the five major camps were ambiguous, and Prince Gong was lying dormant, like a beast waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

"Your Majesty, Lord Song requests an audience."

Xiao Liuzi bowed and reported.

"Xuan."

Li Chengfeng put down his red brush and rubbed his sore eyes.

Based on the address, Li Chengfeng could tell that Xiao Liuzi was talking about Song Zelin, the little old man who couldn't stay still.

Song Yuwei told herself a few days ago that Song Zelin has recovered a lot after treatment. It is probably because he has been very active recently and he has been busy.

After a while, Song Zelin walked slowly into the imperial study. Although he looked much more energetic than before, his face was still a little pale and his steps were a little unsteady.

"I see your Majesty."

Song Zelin saluted with neat movements and seemed to have recovered well.

"Song Aiqing, please excuse me."

Li Chengfeng gave him a light support, "Are you feeling better?"

"Thanks to your majesty, I am now well again and can continue to help you."

Song Zelin bowed, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Li Chengfeng looked at him and sighed inwardly.

Song Zelin is a loyal old minister who assisted me with all his heart and made great contributions.

But after all, he is old, and this illness has seriously damaged his vitality.

Li Chengfeng really couldn't bear to let him continue to worry about state affairs.

"My dear Lord Song, your loyalty is truly heartwarming to me."

Li Chengfeng spoke gently, "But I see that you still look a little pale. Why don't you rest for a while? It won't be too late to come back once you've fully recovered."

When Song Zelin heard this, he suddenly became anxious, "Your Majesty, I..."

"I know you're concerned about state affairs," Li Chengfeng interrupted him and smiled, "but your health is the most important thing."

"If you collapse from exhaustion, who will help me share this huge kingdom?"

"Prime Minister, don't worry about the recent events. Your Highness has handled them very well."

"Your Majesty..." Song Zelin wanted to say something else, but Li Chengfeng raised his hand to stop him.

"I heard that Zhang Yuan and Chen Tingshu have been implementing new policies in Hexi, and they are quite effective."

"I was just thinking of sending someone to inspect it. I wonder if Lord Song would be interested?"

Li Chengfeng asked casually.

Song Zelin was stunned, then he understood Li Chengfeng's intention.

This is a disguised way of letting him go out and relax!

A warm feeling welled up in my heart, but I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"The minister obeys the order."

Song Zelin bowed and said, feeling both moved and helpless.

"Okay, that's settled."

Li Chengfeng smiled and said, "Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi will go with you, so they can look after you."

"Your Majesty, I can go alone. There is no need to trouble Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi..."

"Little Liuzi was originally given to me by you. He's clever, and Tiezhu is my bodyguard."

"The journey to Hexi is long, and I feel relieved to have the two of them take care of us."

"Besides, it's time for Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi to go out and see the world."

Song Zelin knew that if he refused again, he would seem hypocritical, so he had no choice but to accept the order and express his gratitude.

After receiving the imperial decree and expressing his gratitude, Song Zelin slowly left the imperial study.

As soon as he reached the door, he saw his daughter Song Yuwei standing there pretty, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

"Dad, what did His Majesty say to you?"

Song Yuwei stepped forward and asked with concern.

Song Zelin looked at his daughter and smiled with relief. "His Majesty asked me to go to Hexi for an inspection, saying it was to relax."

Song Yuwei was so clever that she immediately understood Li Chengfeng's intention. His Majesty was being considerate of his father's age and allowing him to recuperate.

"Father, His Majesty is wise and wise, you can go with peace of mind."

"I will do my utmost to handle matters of state and live up to your majesty's trust."

Song Yuwei spoke in a firm tone, with a heroic look between her brows.

Song Zelin patted his daughter's hand and said with relief, "Wei'er, Daddy is confident in your ability to handle matters. However, the court is full of twists and turns, so you must be more careful."

"Don't worry, Daddy, your daughter will save you some trouble."

Song Yuwei smiled sweetly, her eyes moving around, showing her intelligence.

Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi had been waiting outside the palace gate for a long time. When they saw Song Zelin coming out, they hurried to greet him.

"Sir Song, His Majesty has ordered us to accompany you to Hexi."

Tiezhu grinned, his honest look was quite pleasing. He was tall and burly, standing next to Song Zelin, like a small mountain.

"Thanks to Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi."

Song Zelin said with a smile.

"You are too polite, Lord Song."

Little Liuzi said cleverly, "I'd love to be able to go out for a walk with Master Song!"

The three of them chatted and laughed all the way back to the Song Mansion.

Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi helped Song Zelin pack his luggage. Although Tiezhu looked big and strong, he was surprisingly meticulous when packing things. Xiao Liuzi made jokes on the side, making Song Zelin laugh.

The next morning, the three of them set off for Hexi.

Along the way, Tiezhu was responsible for driving the car, and Xiao Liuzi was responsible for taking care of Song Zelin's food and daily life. The three of them cooperated well and got along harmoniously.

"Master Song, look at these mountains and waters. They are truly breathtakingly beautiful!"

Xiao Liuzi pointed to the rolling hills outside the window and said excitedly.

Song Zelin leaned in the carriage with his eyes closed. When he heard Xiao Liuzi's words, he slowly opened his eyes, looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, the mountains and rivers of my Daqian Dynasty are truly stunning."

Tie Zhu smiled innocently, "When we get to Hexi, I'll take you to try some of the local specialties. I guarantee you'll want more!"

At this time, Hexi, thousands of miles away, was a scene of prosperity.

After the Five Pecks of Rice Army was defeated, Liu Feng withdrew his troops and returned to Xijing.

Zhang Yuan and Chen Tingshu, one pacified the refugees and reclaimed wasteland, and the other implemented new tax policies, and managed Hexi in an orderly manner.

Zhang Yuan stood on the ridge of the field, looking at the green wheat fields in front of him, and couldn't stop smiling.

"Master Zhang, this year's harvest is much better than in previous years!"

An old farmer came over and said with a smile on his face.

"Yes, thanks to your majesty, the weather is good and the people live and work in peace and contentment."

Zhang Yuan smiled and said that he felt a lot more relaxed since His Majesty sent Chen Tingshu.

"Master Zhang, you see, after the implementation of this new policy, taxes have been reduced a lot, and everyone's life is much better than before!"

The old farmer said gratefully.

"This is all thanks to your majesty. Old man, you must farm well and strive for a bigger harvest next year!"

Zhang Yuan patted the old farmer on the shoulder and encouraged him.

"That's nature, that's nature!"

The old farmer nodded repeatedly, full of energy.

Chen Tingshu sat in the county government office, flipping through the account book, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Master Chen, this is the tax situation this year."

A yamen runner came in and handed an account book to Chen Tingshu.

Chen Tingshu took the account book, looked through it carefully, and the smile on his face became even wider.

Using the magical "Nine Nines Mnemonic Table" taught to him by Zhang Yuan, he could calculate taxes and summarize account books more quickly.

"Yes, yes, this year's tax revenue has increased by 30% compared to previous years!"

Chen Tingshu said excitedly.

“This is all thanks to the New Deal!”

The bailiff sighed.

Chen Tingshu nodded. "Yes, after the implementation of the new policy, the burden on the people was reduced and their enthusiasm for production increased, so tax revenue naturally increased."