Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

The carriage convoy set off for the capital.

The cheers of the people seeing them off were deafening, and they surged to the side of the road, accompanying them for a long distance.

Many people were also shouting things like, "Farewell, Lord Fang."

Fang Zheng couldn't bear to see this, and directly hid in the carriage.

He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they had gone a long way.

He got out of the carriage and switched to riding a horse.

Carriages were really not that comfortable, it was better to ride a horse if possible.

The convoy split into two groups.

The Taoyuan County group was in one, while Jingdi's dragon carriage was in the rear.

Perhaps he was missing his son.

As soon as the common people gradually disappeared from sight, the radiant-faced Crown Prince was summoned into the dragon carriage, and no one knew what the father and son were talking about.

On Fang Zheng's side, Xie Xian accompanied him, continuing to report on the situation in Jianjiang.

"Master, we brought 100,000 taels when we came out, and we spent a lot this time."

"Everything that should have gone into the government treasury has already gone in."

"After deducting the expenses for helping the elderly, weak, orphaned, and widowed, there are now 150,000 taels in the account, plus 2,000 mu of fertile land, a pleasure boat, a Fenghua Lou clubhouse, and two sets of good houses."

"Before leaving, arrangements have been made for people to manage everything."

"Mainly the consultation fees from merchants and a portion of the intermediary fees for workers, as well as advertising design fees, Fenghua Lou membership fees...."

"Two thousand mu of land have been arranged for farmers to plant sweet potatoes, rent-free for five years."

"Also, this is the jewelry you asked to deduct from Liu Xun."

As Xie Xian spoke, he took the package he was carrying on his back, opened it, and saw that it contained many beautiful ornaments, hairpins, bracelets, and the like.

Fang Zheng nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad! This trip wasn't in vain!"

"Leave me 1,000 taels to get some benefits for the newspaper office, and return the 100,000 taels to the county to be put in the treasury. Divide the rest among the brothers."

"This is your labor fee, it wasn't easy to do this."

Xie Xian smiled happily, each person could get nearly 2,000 taels! This trip was so worth it!

The master was indeed generous!

"Serving the master is what we should do!"

"Then give me back the money."

After getting the benefit, he still acted coy, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes and rode his horse to the front.

Seeing that Lao Qi was in front of him, he approached him and asked: "Lao Qi! What's the matter with the shock-absorbing stick I asked you to customize? It's not effective!"

Lao Qi looked puzzled: "That's impossible! I carefully crafted it for two days and even tested it."

"It definitely absorbs shock!"

Fang Zheng was also puzzled, there was no reason, Lao Qi's craftsmanship was indeed unquestionable.

"How did you test it?"

"After finishing it, I used it to smash the wall, and my hand didn't even go numb after smashing it for a day! I even engraved a non-slip pattern on the handle, it feels especially good. Master, don't you trust my craftsmanship?"

"........"

................

After more than ten days of rushing, they finally returned to the capital.

After saying goodbye to Jingdi, Fang Zheng headed straight for Taoyuan County.

Along the way, Fang Zheng paid great attention to the Crown Prince, almost bringing tears to the Crown Prince's eyes.

This time, in addition to the people from Taoyuan County, Li Yuanzhao was also brought along.

After returning from Jianjiang, Jingdi was also exceptionally generous to the Crown Prince.

He agreed to the leave without even thinking about it, and Li Yuanzhao naturally followed happily.

Not far after leaving the city gate, they saw the road built by Taoyuan County.

The straight road was almost blinding.

Another section could be connected to the official road, but Fang Zheng had arranged in advance that it should not be too close to the capital, so the construction was considered complete here.

Walking on the newly built road, the horse's pace was also a bit lighter.

Even the fatigue along the way was reduced a lot.

However, the fact that there was no one on the road made Fang Zheng feel suspicious.

There was no reason... this road had already been built, and it was openly placed here, yet no one was using it?

However, they were almost to the county, so Fang Zheng didn't think much about it.

Riding his horse, enjoying the breeze, he took out the remaining snacks from his package and handed them to Li Yuanzhao.

"Your Highness, eat! This is the last bit of beef jerky left."

Li Yuanzhao was riding on his horse, staring at the ground in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking.

He didn't come back to his senses until Fang Zheng called him, took the beef jerky, and said with emotion: "Lao Fang, you're really good to me."

"We must have been brothers in our previous life."

"That's right!"

Li Yuanzhao looked bitter:

"Alas, Lao Fang, you don't know, I was too embarrassed to tell you along the way, but last time my father didn't know where he got a broken stick and beat me with it! He even treated it like a treasure and brought it on the road."

"I really... you don't know how much that stick hurts! I'm afraid when I see it in the carriage."

"Tsk, how immoral, you say there are only one or two people around His Majesty, who could do this immoral thing and find a stick for His Majesty!"

Fang Zheng's face was full of smiles, and he quickly changed the subject.

"Hey! What were you thinking about just now, Your Highness?"

Hearing this, Li Yuanzhao lowered his head and continued to look at the road surface.

He licked his lips and hesitated: "Don't laugh at me when I say it."

"Definitely not!" Fang Zheng patted his chest to guarantee.

"You say, this road is so flat, if we put a few small wheels on our shoes, wouldn't we be able to run very fast."

"........"

Li Yuanzhao heard Fang Zheng not reply, turned his head and asked: "Do you think so, Lao Fang!?"

He saw Fang Zheng looking at him with a smile: "Imperial Court Jade Liquor!"

"? ? ?" Li Yuanzhao was confused.

"Lao Fang, what are you talking about? Is there such a wine in the palace? Let's not worry about that, do you think putting wheels on shoes can make you run fast!?"

Fang Zheng was emo.

Ignoring Li Yuanzhao, he said to himself: "Your Highness, be sure to remember to tell the historian when you go back that the telephone was invented by me, Fang Zheng!"

"Do you still have that silver note? I'll draw a few more for you when I get back!"

Li Yuanzhao became anxious and refused to let go: "What are you talking about? I'm asking you, can putting wheels on shoes make you run fast?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Your Highness, don't ask!"

Seeing that he was so perfunctory, Li Yuanzhao looked disdainful: "If you don't believe me, forget it! I'll find someone to make one myself when I get back, it will definitely work!"

Fang Zheng was completely depressed.

Losing face for time-travelers! Roller skates? Has someone preemptively registered the patent before me again?!

They were entangled all the way to the city gate.

The city gate guard was overjoyed when he saw that it was Fang Zheng, and wanted to run into the city, but Fang Zheng quickly stopped him.

"I ask you, this road is all built, why is no one walking on it? Are there no outsiders coming to Taoyuan County?"

The guard thought for a while: "Hey! Master, you don't know, there used to be a few people coming here occasionally."

"Isn't it because they were afraid that too many people would come after the road was built, so they didn't let them enter the city, and after a while, no one came!"

So that's how it was.

Fang Zheng nodded and rode his horse into the city.

Along the way, people kept greeting Fang Zheng, and even many people followed him.

The people of Taoyuan County had the appearance of crazy fans chasing stars.

Fang Zheng naturally had a smiling face and returned the greetings one by one.

It's so good to be back home, I feel so confident!