Empress Xiao Lingshuang wanted to see if this fake county magistrate had any understanding of poetry as well.
The carriage once again rolled out from the front gates.
This time, there was no more of that annoying creaking sound from the wheels.
After being scolded by Gu Fei, Cheng Quan had promptly applied black oil to the axle. The improvement was visible to the naked eye, making even Xiao Lingshuang feel a bit surprised.
Once they left the main gate, she couldn’t feel the usual bumpy sensation of stone-paved roads. She thought to herself, this doesn’t make sense. Even the roads in the capital weren’t this smooth.
In fact, she had already sensed something unusual when Gu Fei had first brought her back here, but at that time, her head was still a bit foggy, and she hadn’t noticed the soft and springy smoothness of the ride.
What kind of road was this, exactly?
When she lifted the curtain, her expression twitched several times in disbelief.
How was this an ordinary county town? The shops along the streets were neatly aligned, vibrantly colored yet not messy. Even the arrangements inside the shops gave off a sense of modern flair.
Looking at the bustling crowds, every pedestrian was well-dressed, calm in demeanor, and their faces were filled with carefree and joyful smiles. There wasn’t a single beggar in sight.
Xiao Lingshuang stared in shock at the scenery outside the window, feeling a renewed sense of awe.
The complexion of the pedestrians, their attire, and even the neat layout of the streets far exceeded her expectations of what a “county town” should look like.
Even the capital, with all its grandeur, didn’t seem to match the harmony and charm of this little county.
“A fake magistrate actually created such an idealized fake county town and even manages it so efficiently?” She found it hard to believe.
If she hadn’t received reliable information, she never would’ve believed this place was real.
Her confusion only deepened.
What she was seeing completely overturned her understanding of the world.
Before she became Empress, she had secretly traveled through many regions. Even the main streets of the capital had never been so orderly, so refreshed, so eye-catching.
It was obvious the buildings here were newly constructed. That meant this city couldn’t be older than five years—a shockingly short time.
This also confirmed the information she had received was true.
She barely managed to suppress the countless questions bubbling in her mind, but still couldn’t help asking, “Lord Gu, what is going on here? Why is this place so prosperous?”
Gu Fei sat across from her, and when he heard her question, a proud smile appeared on his face as he said, “Miss Leng, don’t be fooled by appearances. Though this little county may seem insignificant, I, your humble magistrate, govern it well and serve the people practically. Naturally, the place thrives more than others.”
She remained calm on the surface and asked again, “Oh? May I ask Lord Gu, is there some special method to your governance?”
Gu Fei leaned back against the carriage wall and answered lazily, “What method could there be? It’s simply tailoring policies to local conditions and caring for the people’s needs. As the ancients said, ‘The people are the foundation.’ If your heart holds the people, they will follow you and work together to build a prosperous land.”
Then, with a sudden change of tone, he continued, “Unlike that useless Empress, who knows nothing, promotes people through nepotism, messes around with favoritism, appoints worthless officials everywhere… One city after another ends up ruined under her rule. Beiheng is already on the brink. I wonder how long she can even sit on the throne.”
Sighing dramatically, he said, “This humble magistrate truly pities the people of Beiheng.”
“How dare you… speak of Her Majesty the Empress like that!” Xiao Lingshuang erupted in fury, killing intent surging through her body. This damn official dared to slander her—he was asking for death.
Gu Fei said with a mocking tone, “Well, well, looks like you’re a diehard fan of the Empress. You must be from the capital.”
Every time he badmouthed the Empress, he often ran into brain-dead loyalists from the capital. This Leng Lingshuang was definitely not the first, nor would she be the last.
Over the past half-year, many merchants from the capital had secretly come to him for business.
The goods in Shangyuan County were of high quality and cheap. They made great profits just by reselling them back home.
Seeing Gu Fei’s completely indifferent attitude, Xiao Lingshuang grew even more furious. She sneered, “Why aren’t you defending yourself?”
“Defend what? You’re not the Empress… Talking to you about this is a waste of breath.”
“You…!” Xiao Lingshuang felt like she had punched cotton—infuriatingly ineffective. She was so angry she wanted to pounce on Gu Fei and bite him to death.
She said, “You’re right. I am from the capital… Have you ever thought that it’s not that the Empress doesn’t want to do something, but that she simply can’t? She’s all alone with no support. Some things leave her with no choice!”
“Sometimes, to balance interests, she has to compromise, letting certain officials take some private gains.”
Gu Fei raised an eyebrow and said with disdain, “Oh, so you actually know a lot… What, is the Empress your relative or did she tell you this personally?”
Xiao Lingshuang was so enraged by his attitude that she wanted to rip off her disguise and execute him on the spot for his insolence.
But she held back. She knew that revealing her identity now would be useless. This brazen man wouldn’t fear her at all and would only ridicule her further.
Besides, she was still alone.
Revealing her identity would only increase her risk.
Since Gu Fei had no filter when speaking, she decided to use this chance to see what other outrageous things he might say.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke coldly, “And what if the Empress really did tell me? Are you not afraid I’ll report back and have her take your head?”
Gu Fei snorted and waved his hand, “Take my head? She can’t even manage the chaos in her own court. What could she possibly do to a small county magistrate like me?
Even if she hears about me, what then? She’ll send a few useless officials to go through the motions, and I’ll just stuff some money in their hands and be done with it. Beiheng’s current state already proves her incompetence.”
Xiao Lingshuang clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms. Her chest heaved, but outwardly she remained composed and said, “Do you know that while Beiheng is indeed in crisis, things are far more complicated than you think? All you see is the surface. How much do you really know about the difficulties beneath?”
Gu Fei was briefly surprised but quickly returned to his usual lazy manner, “Complicated? It’s just political power struggles.”
“Miss Leng, since you’re from the capital, you should know that the so-called struggles between those bigshots are nothing but party faction disputes. How many of them really care about the people?
But I can’t be bothered with that. I only care about my little piece of land. As long as my people live in peace and prosperity, who the Emperor is doesn’t matter to me.”
“Lord Gu, from what I see, your county office must have amassed quite a bit of silver, right?”
Gu Fei’s expression turned wary, “Why are you asking that?”
She said in a softer tone, “If you didn’t have money, how could you build such a large mansion? And all the houses on these streets must’ve cost a fortune. Since you could afford all this, the county treasury must be pretty full.”
Gu Fei replied, “It’s not that much… just a few dozen million taels of silver, give or take.”
“What?!”
“A few dozen million taels?!”
“I’ll strangle you, you bastard… Do you know the Empress—uh, Her Majesty—cried the whole night just to raise 1 million taels!”
Gu Fei didn’t expect this woman to suddenly go crazy, lunging at him to strangle him.
“Stop… Stop… What is wrong with you? If you keep acting like this, I’ll throw you off the carriage!” Gu Fei was getting annoyed. Why did this woman lose control so easily? Had her brain been soaked too long in water?
That had to be it.
Seeing Gu Fei lose his temper, Xiao Lingshuang finally stopped.
Da Ya and Er Ya, who were driving the carriage, heard the commotion and glanced at each other with smiles.
They were never worried about their master’s safety. His combat skills were terrifying. Even Ye Anlan, the head constable, wasn’t his match.
Seeing that she had quieted down, Gu Fei snorted, “If I hadn’t heard the Empress was old and ugly, I’d almost have mistaken you for her.”
“If you’re truly loyal to the Empress and can send word to her, then you should advise her to abdicate and let someone more capable take over. Spare the people further suffering.”
Xiao Lingshuang’s chest heaved violently. This bastard—where had he heard such nonsense about her being old and ugly? She nearly leapt at him again to bite him, but held herself back and said coldly, “You’ll regret saying all this today.”
Gu Fei remained completely unconcerned, “Regret? I’d like to see who’ll be the one regretting.”
As they spoke, the carriage slowly entered Qingfeng Garden. From afar, the lively sounds of the poetry gathering could already be heard inside.