After the interstellar female general died in battle, she transmigrated into the body of a dashing p

Wu Xuemin continued: "These two places may not seem big, but they are the only two places closest to Jingnan. Logically speaking, even if these two places are not as rich as the rich places, they should not be so poor that the people are destitute."

"Baishan County is better; there are still stone-paved roads inside and outside the city. But you should have seen Luotian County; those few stone-paved roads inside the city took more than ten years to build."

Zheng Zhian's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I know you'll say I was a corrupt official, that the money allocated by the court went into my own pocket. But that's not entirely true either. Back then I..."

When he first became an official, he had the people's well-being in mind and was determined to manage Luotian County well. His first priority was to build a decent road.

He applied to the imperial court, and the Ministry of Revenue approved the application, but half of the 100,000 taels of silver that reached Luotian County was missing. Having exhausted all avenues for help, he decided to repair as much as he could while simultaneously submitting memorials to the emperor.

The person in charge of road repair spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to repair half a street. Upon investigation, it turned out that materials cost money, people cost money, and there was no end to the mess of food, drink, and sanitation.

The matter was dealt with severely, but the person had powerful connections, and the memorial was completely ignored.

The lives of his family members were repeatedly threatened.

Wu Xuemin may sound like an official, but in reality, he's just a puppet on stage.

Later he discovered that as long as he took money with those people and didn't do anything legitimate, he could gain official fame and a prosperous life.

Gradually, all the former enthusiasm dissipated. Who could refuse the days of clinking glasses, exchanging toasts, and welcoming and seeing off guests?

"I'm certain that the dikes in Luotian County will not be easily breached." Wu Xuemin stood up, his neck veins bulging, his emotions running high.

"Heh." Zheng Zhian stared intently at him and said coldly, "Your paper-thin dike?"

"Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives here, and you're saying you're sure it won't happen?!"

Wu Xuemin suddenly rushed in front of Zheng Zhian, his eyes bloodshot and his teeth bared: "I said I wouldn't!"

Having operated in Luotian County for decades, he was well aware of the normal rainfall levels. Even if he considered human life worthless, he wouldn't be so foolish as to be so reckless.

Zheng Zhian was puzzled by his confident expression.

What makes you so sure?

Wu Xuemin took another swig of wine haphazardly. "I personally oversaw this matter. Why do you tell me?"

It concerned his life and fortune. The money he had just received was for a project that couldn't be taken lightly, so he had to personally oversee it to ensure nothing went wrong.

"Why did the dam break? What went wrong?" Wu Xuemin paced back and forth, clutching his disheveled hair.

Zheng Zhian noticed that his behavior was obviously abnormal, and his heart sank.

"Who exactly transferred you to Hongcheng?"

Wu Xuemin seemed not to hear him at all, repeating the same questions. Zheng Zhian raised his voice and asked again.

Wu Xuemin stopped in his tracks. "I only received the message from Kong Gaojun's men a few days before my transfer."

“He’s one of Prime Minister Jian’s men.” He immediately shook his head. “No, he’s received…that man is one of Minister Jia’s men.” He then paced back and forth, pulling at his hair. “That’s not right either…”

Wu Xuemin's thoughts seemed to be caught in a vicious cycle with no answers, muttering to himself in a way that was difficult to hear clearly.

"One last question: Did you approach the Ge family about Hongcheng Xueya's business?"

Wu Xuemin stood there, his eyes somewhat vacant, as if recalling something. After a few breaths, he said, "Neither of those. It was the subordinates who set up the connection."

After saying that, he smashed the wine jug on the ground and rushed towards Zheng Zhian.

"Tell me exactly when I was used, and who it was?!" The voice of the axe and saw was particularly piercing.

Zheng Zhian raised his leg and kicked Wu Xuemin in the abdomen. With a 'bang,' Wu Xuemin flew out and crashed onto the wooden bed, which collapsed in response.

Liquor, broken porcelain, sawdust—the floor was a mess. Wu Xuemin tried to get up, but shakily collapsed again.

This person was very arrogant, thinking he was adept at navigating officialdom and seeing through others, but little did he know he had already become a pawn in someone else's game.

Zheng Zhian remained calm, his gaze towards the man on the ground devoid of any emotion: "Wu Xuemin, you have the means to be all things to all people, but you lack the brains to capitalize on opportunities. You deserve the consequences of your actions today."

After saying that, Zheng Zhian turned and left.

A burst of maniacal laughter came from behind me.

"My home was originally a humble dwelling, where my loving mother sewed and washed clothes."

I pray that my son will be successful, and that I may enjoy the rest of my life.

My home is a humble dwelling, and I study by candlelight at night.

He harbored lofty ambitions and cleverly became a just official.

He had envisioned lofty ambitions, but little did he expect to end up in a muddy pond.

"Speak your mind! Express your aspirations!"

......

The voice behind him carried a mixture of regret, resentment, and disappointment, gradually fading away with Zheng Zhian's footsteps.

Wu Xuemin must still be hiding something, but Zheng Zhian has no way to get him to talk about it.

He probably wanted to take advantage of me by saying those things. Such a cold and arrogant person would not allow himself to lose so badly, and he doesn't even know who he lost to.

According to Wu Xuemin, it's clear that both Jia Zhiwen and Jian Laohu were involved, but they certainly didn't plan it from the beginning; otherwise, the Ge family wouldn't have done business with Wu Xuemin. Presumably, it was after the incident in Luotian County that those people decided to use her as a pretext, targeting her; if they could bring down the Yun family, they would have profited.

However, those people did not expect Zheng Zhian to react so quickly.

Wu Xuemin also said that he only found out a few days before his transfer, so he certainly wouldn't dare to pocket a lot of money. After all, a dam breach is no small matter. Even in the event of a natural disaster, some local officials would inevitably be pushed out to quell public grievances.

Could it be that the Ge family took it upon themselves to find Wu Xuemin?

"Ling Fei, have someone investigate the prefect of Jingnan, Kong Gaojun," Zheng Zhian ordered while pondering.

"Yes!"

Wu Xuemin did not live to see the New Year. The day after he met Zheng Zhian, he went mad and vomited a lot of things. On the third day, when the jailer went to deliver food, he found Wu Xuemin naked, with a bluish face, and frozen stiff.

Zheng Zhian was not surprised when he heard the news, but no one knew what Wu Xuemin from the Ministry of Justice had said.

My father didn't reveal a single word.

That evening, ministers who remained in the capital and had not yet returned to their ancestral homes to visit their families, as well as those from the Ministry of Rites who had to stay because of the envoys from various countries, gathered at the Quqing Hall.

On the high platform, Zheng Hongyuan, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, raised his glass and said a few New Year's greetings, which also served as the opening remarks.

The Consort De next to him picked up her cup, stood up, and smiled in agreement.

Everyone followed suit, their faces beaming with wide, toothy smiles.

After Zheng Zhi'an finished drinking and took her seat, she was in the first seat on the left, and the others were arranged according to age.

Directly opposite her was Prime Minister Jian, and behind her were Wan Qijin and her brother. Xiyu had been on good terms with Anchong for many years, and its national strength was only slightly different from Anchong's, so it was reasonable for her to sit there.

The order that follows is quite interesting, with the notoriously powerful Northern Barbarians placed after Dong'er.

This was also the first time that Zheng Zhian had met the representatives of these two countries.

The visitor from Dong'er was their king, who looked to be in his early thirties, in the prime of his life. He had a square face, not handsome but not ugly either, and a peaceful smile on his face. You would never guess that he was the king of Dong'er.

Speaking the somewhat awkward Anchong Mandarin, which wasn't very fluent, made him sound a bit clumsy.

The northern barbarian was a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old, with deep-set eyes, a hooked nose, and a distinctly exotic appearance. Beside him was a middle-aged man who looked familiar to Zheng Zhian.