On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Two days later, Lin Zhen and his party finally arrived at their destination - Hu County.

Ruined!

decay!

numbness!

This is the first sensory impact that Hu County leaves on everyone.

The rammed earth walls were low and crooked, with most of the bricks weathered and cracked, and withered weeds stubbornly growing in the cracks.

Even the decent battlements on the city wall were incomplete, and a few tattered lanterns hung symbolically swayed listlessly in the wind.

On the city gate, the wooden plaque with the words "Hu County" written on it had long been soaked by rain, the words were blurred, the paint was peeling off, and it was crumbling.

The so-called "official road" in front of the city gate was bumpy and muddy, with silted drainage ditches on both sides and emitting an indescribable stench.

The convoy drove into the city, but the imagined prosperity and bustle were nowhere to be seen.

The streets are narrow and crowded, with low, crooked houses on both sides. Most of them are made of adobe and thatched roofs. The few that have tiles are gray and dilapidated, and exude a dead and musty smell.

There are few pedestrians on the streets. Even if there are pedestrians occasionally, they are all pale and thin, with empty eyes and half-dressed. There is no enthusiasm for life on their faces, only a numbness deep in their bones and a resigned fatigue, as if everything in front of them is just a cage for survival.

Several ragged children lay on the doorstep of their house, looking at the gorgeous carriages and horses that suddenly broke into their gloomy world with empty and curious eyes.

When Lin Zhen's huge and luxurious carriage, like a mobile palace, rumbled through the narrow and dilapidated streets, it caused a small commotion and onlookers.

The ragged people timidly poked their heads out from behind doorways and thatched huts, and finally a trace of emotion appeared on their numb faces.

They whispered to each other, pointed, and the sound of their whispers was like the buzzing of flies:

"Look! Oh my God! Which god has arrived? Could it be the emperor going on tour?"

"I've never seen such a big carriage! It's even inlaid with colored glaze! Wow..."

"So many soldiers! How scary!"

"The imperial court sent such a high-ranking official to our small place? Is he here to provide disaster relief?"

"That's bullshit! I haven't seen a single grain of rice in all these years! I'm afraid they're going to come up with something new and increase taxes, right?"

"Looking at this scene, maybe these days of poverty are really coming to an end?"

In the crowd, a skinny old man huddled against the wall, his cloudy eyes staring at the huge carriage, muttering to himself in a low voice, with a faint hope in his voice that he himself could not believe.

A child next to him licked the bottom of an empty, plastered bowl, hoping that the people on the bus would drop some icing sugar crumbs.

The convoy rolled through the mud, ignoring the pointers and discussions, and followed Lin Zhen's instructions, heading straight for the county government office located in the northwest corner of the county town.

The Jinwu Guard scouts who were responsible for leading the way had already figured out the route.

However, when the huge convoy turned the last corner and saw the county government gate, which was also low and dilapidated, with mottled walls and gray tiles, everyone couldn't help but be stunned.

Contrast!

What a huge contrast!

In stark contrast to the dead silence and desolation they had seen along the way, the usually deserted gate of the county government was now filled with people!

They were not ragged common people, but all kinds of businessmen dressed in silk and satin, with bulging bellies and shrewd and anxious expressions on their faces!

They filled the small open space in front of the county government office, forming several long winding queues, almost blocking the already narrow street!

There were fat silk merchants, skinny grain store owners, bank managers wearing bronze glasses, and even people with foreign faces who looked like sea merchants.

They gathered in groups of three or five, some anxiously stretching their necks to look forward, some talking in low and intense voices. The air was filled with the smell of sweat, dust and a strong and impetuous smell of money!

Servants in shorts moved about, fanning their masters and serving them tea. The county government gate, which should have been solemn and majestic, was now bustling with activity even more than a Yangzhou market!

The escorting Jinwu Guard soldiers immediately became alert and quickly formed a defensive formation, with their inch-long crossbows aimed faintly at the crowd, and a murderous atmosphere spread instantly.

This abnormal and noisy scene naturally fell into Zhang Li's eagle-like eyes.

She leaned forward slightly and carefully scanned the well-dressed businessmen through the huge glazed windows of the carriage, a trace of cold sarcasm on her face that showed insight into the world.

She turned her head and sneered clearly and confidently at Lin Zhen, who was still resting with his eyes closed.

"Oh... Husband, do you see that? What a irony. Our convoy crushed the tears and corpses of the poor people as we entered this desolate city, yet the first scene we saw was this bustling scene!"

Her voice, with its piercing power, cut straight to the heart of the matter. "I'm afraid the news of Xirang had already spread like a plague through the merchant community before the Yangzhou governor reported it to the court. Look at the faces of these people, flocking here from thousands of miles away, their noses sharper than rats! Aren't they just here to sniff out the scent of this divine soil that won't worry about waterlogging, rushing to stake out their claim and hoard it? They clutch boxes of silver bills and salt permits, waiting to buy up every inch of the muddy pond in Hu County where the divine soil can grow! This is the merchant class of Jiangnan!"

Lin Zhen finally slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were calm, as if the irritating and noisy voices outside the window were just the chirping of insects on a summer night.

He looked through the glazed window at the bustling scene in front of the county government office, a cold smile full of absolute control on his lips, as if he saw a group of ants jumping noisily around a bonfire that was about to go out.

"Oh, hoarding land? Hoarding it?" Lin Zhen's voice was low, but it carried an absolute will that dominated everything. "As long as I'm here, any private transactions will be nullified. The land, waterways, resources, and manpower of this Hu County will all be governed by new rules under my command."

He turned his head slightly and gave the driver a curt order, "Stop."

The order was clearly conveyed to the front, and the huge carriage slowly stopped.

Under Zhang Li's understanding gaze, Huanbi's gentle attention, and Qingwen's curious peeking, Lin Zhen stood up. His tall and straight figure seemed extremely oppressive in the spacious and luxurious carriage.

He stretched out his hand, and Cheng Xuan immediately put his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Without any hesitation, Lin Zhen pushed open the priceless rosewood door inlaid with colored glaze and stepped in.

Golden sunlight instantly enveloped him.

His luxurious moon-white uniform formed a shocking contrast with the dilapidated earthen walls, muddy ground, ragged poor people watching the excitement, and those well-dressed but shrewd businessmen!

It was like a god from the nine heavens suddenly descending into the filthy mortal world.

The originally noisy and bustling entrance of the county government office suddenly fell into dead silence, as if it was strangled by an invisible giant hand!

All eyes, filled with shock, doubt, greed, fear, humility, and countless complex emotions, were focused on this strange nobleman who walked out of a painting with indescribable majesty!

Even the air seemed to freeze.

However, Lin Zhen's gaze passed through the frozen crowd and was cast towards the tightly closed, low gate of the county government office as if it were real.

Lin Zhen stepped down from the carriage, his black fox cloak swaying gently in the breeze, and his luxurious moon-white silk shirt looked particularly eye-catching against the backdrop of the dilapidated county government office.

He was like a huge rock thrown into a muddy pond, instantly breaking the bustling "scene" of merchants in front of the county government office.