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

It was already evening when Song Zelin and his group arrived in Hexi.

In order to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, Song Zelin specifically asked Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi to keep a low profile.

The city gate is majestic, but there are no strict guards. Only soldiers in groups of three or four are leaning lazily against the city wall, chatting casually.

This scene was a world of difference compared to the heavily guarded Xijing.

Song Zelin nodded secretly. It seemed that the public security in Hexi was indeed good.

They disguised themselves as ordinary merchants and quietly entered the city.

After entering the city, Song Zelin found a busy tea stall to sit down.

Tiezhu and Xiao Liuzi stood behind him, one on each side, like two door gods.

People came and went at the tea stall, and the sounds of shouting, laughing, and bargaining merged into a noisy yet surprisingly harmonious scene.

Song Zelin picked up the coarse porcelain tea bowl and took a sip. The tea was a little rough, but it had a unique fragrance.

There are shops on both sides of the street, and the sounds of hawking can be heard one after another.

The vendors greeted passers-by warmly, and the wide variety of goods was dazzling.

"Master Song, this Hexi City is really lively!"

Little Liuzi sighed, looking around with his eyes rolling, "It's even more prosperous than the capital!"

"Yes."

Song Zelin took a sip of tea and his eyes fell on a vendor selling candied haws not far away. "It seems that Zhang Yuan and Chen Tingshu have managed this place well."

He couldn't help but think of the scene when he went on an incognito visit with Li Chengfeng in the past.

At that time, we went to Xijing, the capital of King Pingxi. Liu Zhenshan was a powerful figure at that time. Xijing was far away from the capital and was devastated by his attack.

Ragged beggars were everywhere on the streets, and no one cared about the starving people lying dead on the streets.

The people were all pale and thin, with numbness and despair in their eyes.

But the scene in Hexi is quite different.

The people were neatly dressed, with smiles on their faces, and the children were chasing and playing, carefree.

Song Zelin's eyes fell on a vendor selling candy figures.

The vendor was very skilled, and the syrup seemed to come alive in his hands, turning into a lifelike phoenix in the blink of an eye.

A little girl with pigtails stared at the sugar phoenix with her eyes wide open, her saliva almost dripping.

Her mother smiled, paid, and handed the candy phoenix to the little girl.

The little girl immediately burst into laughter and licked the sugar phoenix carefully with a look of satisfaction on her face.

"This prosperous scene is truly gratifying."

Song Zelin sighed.

"That's right, Master Song."

Little Liuzi came over and poured him another cup of tea. He also took some cakes and shared them with Tiezhu. "This is all thanks to the great blessing of Your Majesty, as well as the contributions of Master Zhang and Master Chen!"

Tiezhu took the cake and said with a simple smile, "There are many delicious foods in Hexi, Master Song. I'll take you to try some later!"

Song Zelin smiled and nodded, feeling truly happy for His Majesty and the world.

At this time, a ragged beggar walked up to the tea stall and timidly extended his hand to Song Zelin.

Without any hesitation, Song Zelin took out a piece of silver from his pocket and handed it to him.

The beggar was so grateful that he kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.

Song Zelin waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

"Sir Song, you really have a kind heart!" Little Liuzi said from the side.

Song Zelin smiled and said nothing.

He just felt that the current prosperity of Hexi was hard-won and should be cherished.

Meanwhile, in a wheat field outside the city, Zhang Yuan was chatting with a few elderly farmers about this year's harvest. He bent down, carefully checking the fullness of the wheat ears, a pleased smile on his face.

"The harvest this year is good. It seems that God is blessing us in Hexi!" Zhang Yuan said with a smile.

"Yes, thanks to your majesty, the weather is good and this year will definitely be a year of bumper harvest!" said an old farmer happily.

At this moment, a yamen runner ran over breathlessly, "Master Zhang, Master Song has arrived in Hexi!"

"What? The Prime Minister is here?" Zhang Yuan first

He was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, "Quick, take me to see Lord Song!"

He didn't care about the dirt and sweat on his body and followed the yamen runners all the way back to the city.

Song Zelin was about to leave the tea stall when he saw Zhang Yuan running towards him in a hurry.

He was still covered in dirt and grass, obviously having just returned from the fields.

"Master Song! You are here!"

Zhang Yuan shouted excitedly, ran to Song Zelin and bowed deeply.

"Zhang Yuan, no need to be so polite."

Song Zelin smiled and helped him up. "I haven't seen you for a few years. You've gotten a lot darker."

"Haha, I've been working in the fields with the people, so I got a bit tanned."

Zhang Yuan scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"Thanks a lot."

Song Zelin patted his shoulder and said, "The governance of Hexi is thanks to the efforts of you and Chen Tingshu."

"This is all Your Majesty's credit. I dare not take credit for it."

Zhang Yuan said modestly.

"Sir Song, you are exhausted from the journey. Please come to the mansion to rest. I have prepared some wine to welcome you."

Song Zelin did not refuse and followed Zhang Yuan all the way into the prefectural mansion.

After entering the mansion, Zhang Yuan immediately ordered the servants to prepare wine and food, and called Chen Tingshu over.

"Prime Minister, this is Chen Tingshu, the number one scholar chosen by His Majesty. He is currently serving as the Chief Clerk in Hexi."

"You two, have you seen it before?"

Song Zelin nodded and looked at Chen Tingshu, more calm than before.

"This humble official greets Lord Song."

Chen Tingshu saluted respectfully.

After the greetings, the three of them sat down.

After three rounds of drinks, the topic naturally turned to the political affairs of Hexi.

Zhang Yuan was the first to speak: "Sir Song, are you here to inspect the implementation of the new policy in Hexi?"

Song Zelin nodded. "That's right. Your Majesty is very concerned about the people's livelihood in Hexi and sent me here to take a look."

"Since the implementation of the new policy, the lives of the people in Hexi have indeed improved greatly."

Chen Tingshu took over the conversation, and his tone was inevitably more proud.

"According to the plan outlined by His Majesty earlier, we will levy taxes based on per capita income. Citizens with incomes too low will be exempt from taxation."

"In addition, we have reclaimed a large amount of wasteland and distributed it to the people for cultivation, encouraging them to be self-sufficient."

"Oh?"

Song Zelin became interested, "How does it work specifically?"

Zhang Yuan explained to Song Zelin in detail the specific content and implementation details of the new policy.

He talked about how to set different tax rates according to different income levels, how to encourage people to reclaim wasteland, how to help poor people overcome difficulties, and so on.

Song Zelin nodded frequently as he listened and asked some questions from time to time, which Zhang Yuan and Chen Tingshu answered one by one.

"You two have done a great job, my Lords."

Song Zelin said approvingly, "This new policy is indeed a good policy that benefits both the country and the people."

"I'll report back to His Majesty, and it should be rolled out nationwide."

Zhang Yuan and Chen Tingshu looked at each other and smiled with relief on their faces.

Getting the recognition from the prime minister of the time was undoubtedly a great encouragement to them.