I was kicked out of the house, and I was reborn and became the emperor

Fang Yi, who carries the memories of his previous life, knows very well in his heart: in troubled times, gold, silver, land and food are not the top priorities, but talents are the real trump card!

If he could get wise and capable assistance, perhaps Jiuyuan County would become a new world for him to realize his ambitions!

At this time, Fang Yi not only held 100,000 taels of silver notes, detailed files of Yanzhou officials, and a list of exiles, but also the crucial imperial edict of amnesty.

At this moment, he deeply realized the foresight and good intentions of Emperor Taining and Liu Congwu.

However, how easy is it to win over these independent-minded and self-important people?

Because of their unyielding pride and aloof character, they angered the third and sixth princes and were exiled.

It would be difficult to gain their trust with just a pardon order. Fortunately, Liu Congwu detailed everyone's hobbies, weaknesses and even handles in the list, providing Fang Yi with valuable clues.

Fortunately, these exiles and Fang Yi have a common enemy, and with a common hatred and a common enemy, they may be able to succeed.

Looking at Liu Congwu's meticulous annotations on the list, Fang Yi secretly sighed that if Liu Congwu could accompany him, it would definitely be a great help.

But he understood that if Liu Congwu stayed in the capital, he would be able to help him more and gain access to the intelligence of various forces.

Just as Fang Yi was envisioning his future in the bumpy carriage, the sound of hurried horse hooves suddenly rang out outside the window.

Fang Yi lifted the carriage curtain and saw a chestnut horse galloping towards him like an arrow. The man on the horse was Zhang Wenyuan, the deputy commander of the imperial guards.

"Commander Zhang, you're finally here!" Fang Yi was overjoyed.

"Nothing unusual was found along the way, so you can rest assured, Lord Marquis." Zhang Wen** responded quietly, then slowed down and hid, continuing to play the role of guardian.

The journey to Yanzhou is long and the ten-day trip is full of unknowns, but with Zhang Wenyuan accompanying him, Fang Yi feels a little more at ease.

In the afternoon, the carriage turned onto a rugged path, and the carriage swayed.

Fang Yi felt a little tired, and Xiaorou opposite him was even more drowsy. Her head swayed with the rhythm of the car, as restless as a pendulum, and she was often woken up from her light sleep.

"Why is this car so bumpy?" Xiaorou muttered, and then fell asleep again.

Fang Yi looked at Xiao Rou's cute sleeping face and couldn't help but smile, gently letting her head rest on his shoulder. In the dream, Xiao Rou's slightly opened lips were soft and attractive, like a flower about to bloom, which made Fang Yi's heart ripple.

Fang Yi knew very well that as a personal maid, Xiaorou would eventually be his. But just as he was distracted and wanted to take action, the carriage stopped abruptly and Xiaorou was awakened.

"My lord, why are you so close to me?" Xiaorou asked while rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Fang Yi was speechless for a moment, coughed, and turned his gaze to the window. Night had fallen, and the carriage had just arrived at an inn, where everyone would rest for the night.

Xiaorou stretched lazily, unaware of what had just happened.

……

Ten days later, Fang Yi and his entourage finally arrived at the territory of Yanzhou, but it still took three days of travel to reach Jiuyuan County, which borders the East China Sea.

As soon as we entered the border of Yanzhou, a procession of ceremonial guards suddenly came into view amid the noise of gongs and drums, making the place extremely lively.

At the head of the queue, an official in a scarlet robe stood, with cloud geese embroidered on his patch, indicating his status as a fourth-rank prefect.

"My lord, as the Marquis of Guanjun, you are extremely honorable. Even if the Grand Commander of Yanzhou cannot come in person, you should at least send the Deputy Commander to welcome us." Xiaorou said with a little resentment in Fang Yi's ear.

"How could a high-ranking official like Zhuge Zhan, the Grand Commander and Governor of Yanzhou, condescend to welcome me?" Fang Yi responded indifferently.

"In that case, it should be the Jiuyuan County Magistrate who should welcome him, but now it is the prefect himself who comes, which seems to be giving some face to the Marquis, hehe." Xiaorou smiled slyly.

"Xiao Rou, you are quite smart. Do you think your master has really fallen to this state?" Fang Yi smiled bitterly.

As they were talking, the prefect came closer and saluted.

Perhaps because he was neither the third prince nor a prince, the prefect was very humble and immediately led Fang Yi and his party to a restaurant in a nearby city and hosted a banquet for them.

After the banquet, the prefect personally arranged for Fang Yi and others to stay in the best inn in the county.

"My Lord, Yanzhou is a remote and poor place, and the accommodation is shabby. I hope you will forgive me."

"Governor Ma, don't be so modest. To tell you the truth, you are the first official who treats me with such respect." Fang Yi responded with a wry smile.

"My Lord, thank you for your compliment. I have another question for you. When do you expect to arrive in Jiuyuan County? I will send a pigeon to inform Magistrate Lu to prepare a welcoming ceremony."

Fang Yiben wanted to say three days later, but then changed his mind: "Well... maybe five days later, I want to enjoy the scenery of Yanzhou along the way."

Upon hearing this, the prefect respectfully withdrew.

The next morning, Fang Yi and his party not only did not travel around the mountains and rivers, but instead accelerated their pace.

Xiaorou, who was shaking in the carriage, asked in confusion, "My Lord, didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to see the scenery along the way? At this speed, we can reach Jiuyuan County in less than three days, right?"

"That's right, I want to get to Jiuyuan County as soon as possible!"

"Then why did the Marquis tell the prefect that it would take five days..."

Xiaorou was very confused.

"You will understand then. We will see the result in three days." Fang Yi smiled mysteriously and urged the driver to speed up. Thousands of miles away in Jiuyuan County, County Magistrate Lu was still immersed in peace and contentment.

……

At dawn, in the quiet back hall of the county government office in Jiuyuan County.

County Magistrate Lu sat upright on an old wooden chair, facing him was Master Lin, who had accompanied him through all the ups and downs. The two of them leaned leisurely against the blazing charcoal fire, savoring the golden roasted pigeons and enjoying this unique leisure time.

"It will be here in a flash. In just five days, the champion Hou Fangyi, who is feared by all, will arrive here. I don't know whether it is a blessing from the stars or a disaster from within."

County Magistrate Lu sighed softly, a hint of worry revealed between his brows.

Master Lin stroked his beard and smiled, "Don't worry, my Lord. I heard that the Champion Marquis is a warrior. If we can serve him attentively, we may win his favor and receive some rewards. As for fortune and disaster, my Lord knows it clearly."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"Have you forgotten that if the Marquis had not come, how could there be such a large sum of money to repair the mansion?"

There was a lot of cunning in Master Lin's words.

County Magistrate Lu was refreshed by the words and slapped his thigh and said with a smile: "It is true. It is all thanks to the Marquis that we have a little more money. I just want to use this money to smooth things over and escape from this desolate place as soon as possible."

"Your Excellency is right, but we must be cautious. Although the Marquis is a military man, his followers are not ordinary people. You should make proper arrangements and place them in a house near the county government office to avoid trouble."

"Yes, we also need to instruct the yamen runners to warn those unruly people and tell them to behave themselves. Don't think that they can take advantage of someone from above! We must let them know that even if the Champion Marquis comes in person, Jiuyuan County will still follow my orders!"

County Magistrate Lu spoke in a calm and majestic tone.

"I will obey your order and handle it immediately. But if there are those who do not know the current situation..."

"Execute immediately! Anyone who dares to disobey me will be killed without mercy. This place suffers from famine every year, and there are already more than a hundred missing victims. A few unruly people are not worth mentioning."

County Magistrate Lu spoke coldly, his face as gloomy as water.

"I obey your orders. Oh, my Lord, I also heard that the superiors intend to reinstate you. I hope you will not forget me then."

Master Lin smiled obsequiously, his words full of compliments.

"Master Lin, you and I have been partners for more than ten years, how could you forget? If it weren't for your unparalleled wisdom, how could we have established our current foundation, and how could we easily deal with Liu Qing'er and the like."

Magistrate Lu had a sly look in his eyes and patted Master Lin on the shoulder. The two of them understood each other tacitly and smiled at each other. The laughter echoed in the back hall of the county government office, revealing a hint of cunning and calculation.